“Tbilisi Pride” Urges Citizens to Condemn Disinformation by Radical Groups
Tbilisi Pride, an NGO supporting the LGBTQ+ community, calls on the citizens ” to denounce the violent threats made by radical groups against the Pride Festival” and not to believe the disinformation they are spreading.
The statement issued by the organization reads: “Radical groups are intentionally misleading the public about the Pride Festival, spreading false information regarding a so-called “gay parade” taking place in the streets of Tbilisi. Their goal is to incite hatred within a particular segment of society.” The NGO stresses that “there are no marches planned for tomorrow’s event and that the event will be held indoors for pre-registered guests only”.
In addition, Tbilisi Pride says that along with representatives of the queer community, there will be representatives of the diplomatic corps and international partners at the festival. Only adults will have the opportunity to participate, and the events planned during the festival will have an educational, cultural and social character.
“For months, our team has engaged in negotiations with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the support of international partners. We have obtained robust assurances that the festival will be adequately protected,” the organization says, calling on the public not to trust disinformation, not to spread it and to “stand in support of democracy, human rights, and love”.
Notably, representatives of different religions in Georgia issued a joint statement today condemning Pride Week. According to them, the purpose of the week is to “promote perverted lifestyles, including propaganda among the youth, registration of same-sex couples as families, adoption of children, and changing the cultural code in general”. They said: “We will never call anyone to violence,” but they stressed that the Georgian people will never get used to the LGBTQI+ issue and it’s time to regulate this issue at the legislative level.
Also Read:
- 07/07/2023 – Coalition Urges Safety Measures for Tbilisi Pride, Cites Government’s Homophobic Campaign
- 03/07/2023 – Tbilisi Pride Week Kicks off With Support From International Partners
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
