“Selective National Human Rights Action Plan” – Tbilisi Pride Statement
On November 10, Tbilisi Pride issued a statement entitled “Selective National Human Rights Action Plan,” addressing the exclusion of LGBTQ community members in the National Action Plan for the Protection of Human Rights (2024-2026), initiated by the Georgian government on October 31.
“Following the discriminatory National Strategy of Human Rights of Georgia (2023-2030) approved in the spring, and the increasingly hostile rhetoric and actions from the government, it came as no surprise that LGBTQ individuals were removed from the National Human Rights Action Plan (2024-2026),” – the statement reads. Highlighting the struggle of the LGBTQ community for basic rights and freedoms in Georgia, Tbilisi Pride says that “the Georgian Dream government institutionalizes homophobia and transphobia,” accusing it of diverting attention from critical issues. The statement further criticizes the government, saying, “The Georgian Dream is following a regressive path that restricts human rights and freedoms while refusing to protect constitutionally guaranteed rights.”
Tbilisi Pride echoes the European Commission’s November 8 Communication on Enlargement Policy, urging Georgia to “implement an inclusive human rights action plan that also addresses the rights of the LGBTQ community”. The statement emphasizes the Commission’s condition for the protection of human rights and vulnerable groups, additionally stressing Georgia’s need to “guarantee freedom of assembly and expression for all”. Tbilisi Pride believes that the GD initiatives on human rights protection “contradict the recommendations of the European Commission and fundamental human rights principles.”
The statement reads: “We firmly believe that every citizen of Georgia should enjoy the freedom to live without discrimination and persecution. The rights of LGBTQ people should be protected just as the rights of all individuals. ” Tbilisi Pride expresses its expectation of “solidarity of various social groups, media representatives, artists, activists, and organizations to firmly reject the government’s divisive, discriminatory, and harmful attempt to exclude LGBTQ individuals.” The statement underscores that there is still an opportunity to include LGBTQ rights in the final version of the Human Rights Action Plan, aligning the document with the principles of human rights protection and European integration.
Also Read:
- 08/11/2023 – European Commission Recommends EU Candidacy for Georgia
- 08/07/2023 – Police Stands by as Far-Right Groups Attack Tbilisi Pride Festival
- 04/05/2023 – Georgian Prime Minister Advocates for Conservatism and Slams “False” Values at CPAC
- 12/12/2022 – Georgian CSOs Release 2022 Human Rights Reports
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