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Georgia’s parliament has passed a controversial “family values” bill that would restrict the rights of the LGBTQ community, despite criticism from the president, human rights activists and the European Union. The new law, “On Family Values ​​and the Protection of Minors,” imposes strict restrictions on public discussion of LGBTQ issues and bans access to gender reassignment surgeries. The measures are being presented as steps to uphold traditional values, but have sparked a wave of condemnation and concern for the rights of minorities in the country.

Georgian Parliament Passes Law Restricting LGBTQ Rights: New Restrictions and Censorship on the Horizon

The law, passed Tuesday, will give authorities legal leverage to ban Pride events and the public use of the LGBTQ rainbow flag. It will also allow restrictions on the distribution of films and literature that contain themes related to the rights and lives of the LGBTQ community, introducing strict censorship in these areas.

The bill also bans gender reassignment and deprives gays and transgender people of the right to adopt children. In addition, same-sex marriages registered outside Georgia will no longer be legally binding in the country.

In a vote that was ignored by opposition forces, lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party unanimously backed the bill, with 84 votes in favor and none against. The law also includes amendments to several other pieces of legislation. Georgian Dream leaders say the measures are aimed at strengthening “traditional moral values” in a country where the conservative Georgian Orthodox Church wields considerable influence.

Tamara Jakeli, head of Tbilisi Pride, expressed concern that the new bill, which would enshrine a ban on same-sex marriage and impose a ban on gender reassignment surgery, could lead to the closure of her organization. According to her, these measures create an extremely hostile environment for the LGBTQ community, which threatens the future work and existence of her initiative group.

“This law is the worst blow that could have befallen the LGBT community in Georgia,” Jakeli, 28, told Reuters. “We are in a critical situation and will most likely be forced to stop our activities. We simply do not have the resources to continue working under such conditions.”

President’s attempt to block LGBT bill meets resistance from ruling coalition

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, whose powers are largely ceremonial, has expressed frustration with the ruling Georgian Dream party and signaled that she intends to block the bill. However, Georgian Dream and its allies have enough votes in parliament to override her potential veto, casting doubt on the real effectiveness of her criticism.

The issue of LGBTQ rights is a contentious one in Georgia, where polls show overwhelmingly negative attitudes toward same-sex relationships and the constitution bans same-sex marriage. In recent years, participants in Tbilisi’s annual gay pride parade have faced physical violence from anti-LGBTQ protesters. The issue is particularly relevant ahead of the October 26 elections, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party is seeking a fourth term and has vocally opposed LGBTQ rights, raising serious concerns among human rights advocates.

Georgia’s ruling party, led by billionaire former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, is strengthening its ties with Russia amid worsening relations with the West. Earlier this year, it passed a “foreign agents” law that drew criticism from European and American observers as authoritarian and inspired by Russian practices. The move sparked protests that were among the largest in Georgia since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Polls show that the ruling party, which passed a law banning LGBTQ discrimination in 2014 before shifting to a more conservative direction, remains the most popular party in Georgia. However, its support has been slipping since 2020, when the party won only a narrow majority in parliament. One of the ruling party’s ads on Georgian television features Pride director Jakeli with the phrase “No to moral degradation,” illustrating its current position and approach to public issues.

The European Union said that the approval of the bill could have a “significant impact” on Tbilisi’s EU membership aspirations and “would exacerbate tensions in EU-Georgia relations.” The EU stressed that Georgia’s integration process has effectively stalled and called on the country’s authorities to reaffirm their commitment to the European path. These statements highlight the serious implications that this law could have for Georgia’s future in the context of its integration into the European community.

Burkina Faso’s military has introduced a ban on homosexual acts, making the country the latest African state to increase its crackdown on same-sex relationships, despite clear opposition from Western countries. Although homosexuality was frowned upon in the socially conservative West African state, it was not officially banned until now.

Burkina Faso makes gay ban into law: dramatic change in military-ruled social policy

This decision represents an important step in the context of the harsh policies pursued by the military authorities since they came to power. The ban on homosexual relations has caused widespread public outcry both domestically and internationally, highlighting a significant change in Burkina Faso’s social and legal policies. The introduction of this law reflects a growing trend towards increased control and suppression of alternative forms of sexual orientation and gender identity in the region.

Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala announced that the military junta government had approved a bill that would make homosexual relations a criminal offense, but declined to reveal details. Since a military coup in 2022 that brought the military to power, Burkina Faso has significantly reduced its ties with France, the former colonial power, and shifted its policy towards Russia.

Russia decriminalized homosexual acts in 1993, but under President Vladimir Putin the government has stepped up its crackdown on the LGBTQ community, introducing bans on what it defines as “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships.”

Burkina Faso’s decision to criminalize homosexual relations is linked to a review of marriage laws. The proposed law, which must be approved by the military-controlled parliament and approved by junta chief Ibrahim Traoré, would only recognize marriages based on religious and traditional norms.

“From now on, homosexual relations and related practices will be prosecuted by law,” AFP quoted the justice minister as saying. Captain Ibrahim Traoré took power in September 2022, ousting the previous military leader, Lt. Col. Paul-Henri Damibou, whom he accused of failing to effectively fight the Islamist insurgency active in Burkina Faso since 2015.

Burkina Faso is now one of 22 of 54 African countries where same-sex relationships are not a crime. Unlike many former British colonies where laws against homosexuality were inherited after independence, the country did not adopt such rules after gaining independence from France in 1960.

In Burkina Faso, approximately 64% of the population is Muslim, while Christians make up 26%. The remaining 10% of the population adhere to traditional beliefs or are non-religious.

Africa at the epicenter of repression: Uganda introduces the death penalty for homosexual relations, Cameroon and Ghana also crack down on the LGBTQ community

In recent years, a number of African countries have tightened their measures against the LGBTQ community. Uganda, for example, recently passed laws increasing repression of the group, despite strong condemnation from local human rights groups and international authorities.

In May, the country’s Constitutional Court approved harsh amendments to the law providing for the death penalty for “serious cases of homosexuality.” These cases include same-sex relationships with minors or contracting incurable diseases such as HIV.

Activists intend to appeal this decision. In response to the new law, the World Bank suspended new loans to President Yoweri Museveni’s government, and the United States limited preferential access to American markets for Ugandan goods.

President Museveni has defended the new law, saying it strengthens traditional family values ​​and stresses that Uganda will not allow the West to impose its norms. In Cameroon, the president’s daughter, Brenda Biya, is discussing her gay confession, which has caused mixed reactions. Living outside the country, Brenda hopes that her openness can influence the revision of the law that prohibits same-sex relationships in Cameroon.

Since 1982, Cameroon has been ruled with a strong hand by 91-year-old President Paul Biya. In February, Ghana’s parliament approved a strict new law that would impose up to three years in prison for those found to be members of the LGBTQ+ community.

However, President Nana Akufo-Addo has yet to sign the law, saying he will wait for the court’s verdict on its constitutionality. The Treasury has warned that if the legislation is passed, Ghana risks losing $3.8bn (£3bn) in World Bank funding over the next five to six years.

Ghana faces a deep economic crisis and received significant financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) last year.

In recent months, the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people have come under serious threat in multiple countries as populist and authoritarian governments have passed brutal laws aimed at restricting these rights.

Limitation of LGBT rights in world politics: how laws under the pretext of protecting children threaten fundamental freedoms

Countries such as Uganda, Ghana, Iraq, Russia, Hungary and the United States have made attempts to restrict the fundamental freedoms of LGBT people, including freedom of expression, association and assembly. They have justified these actions by arguing that the presence of LGBT people in the public sphere poses a threat to children, misusing child protection rhetoric to suppress fundamental human rights.

This outdated and offensive stereotype harms LGBT people by demonizing them in the public consciousness and denying them basic rights. It also harms all children, who are deliberately kept in the dark about important topics such as family diversity, current events, and comprehensive sexuality education. However, most of all, these laws harm LGBT children by making them feel isolated and without examples of how they can blossom in the future.

Numerous laws supposedly aimed at protecting children turn out to be extremely cruel in reality. In 2023, Uganda passed an anti-homosexuality bill under the guise of “protecting children and youth.” However, this law does nothing to address the real problems of Ugandan children, such as high levels of poverty, child labor and limited access to education and healthcare. Instead, he uses this excuse to invade the privacy of LGBT adults.

This included punishing same-sex relationships between adults with life imprisonment, introducing the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”, and criminalizing LGBT propaganda, punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The bill passed by the Ghanaian Parliament also claims to “provide protection and support for children” but contains extremely repressive measures. The bill would criminalize LGBT rights campaigns that allegedly target children, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. It also goes much further, banning the creation and support of LGBT organizations and, in particularly violent cases, punishing the simple fact of identifying as LGBT.

Russia, which many years ago banned any positive or neutral depiction of LGBT people for children, later extended this ban to all public life, effectively banning any recognition of LGBT people and their rights. These laws have been used to intimidate, harass, and punish LGBT people and organizations, encouraging discrimination. They have also denied LGBT children access to educational and health services, harming their mental health and well-being. The situation worsened in 2024 when the Russian Supreme Court declared LGBT activism “extremist,” imposing prison sentences and other penalties for belonging to an LGBT organization.

Other countries have followed a similar path. Hungary has stepped up efforts to limit LGBT portrayals in the media, passing a law banning LGBT depictions in educational materials and television programs aimed at youth. In 2024, absurd new rules were introduced regulating where and how toys such as rainbow blocks could be sold.

Legislative Barriers: The Impact of Anti-LGBT Laws on Mental Health and Children’s Rights in the United States

In the United States, lawmakers also argue that they are protecting children by passing laws that make life more difficult for children. Like Russia or Hungary, seven states impose restrictions or outright bans on discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in school curricula, and four more limit whether and how same-sex relationships can be discussed in school textbooks. These laws, justified as protection for children, limit youth’s access to information about different sexual orientations and gender identities, ignoring the possible negative consequences of isolation and invisibility for young people who identify or will identify as LGBT.

Many other laws are passed under the guise of protecting cisgender, heterosexual youth, but they unfairly target and stigmatize transgender children. These laws deny transgender children access to sports, prohibit them from participating in related educational institutions, and notify their family members of their status. Nearly half of U.S. states prohibit transgender children from receiving health care that confirms their gender identity, a vital aid for reducing gender dysphoria and improving comfort in their own bodies. These bans are aimed solely at children, who may change their views in the future, without paying enough attention to those children and adults for whom access to this help is critical and whose life path becomes much more difficult and painful without it.

Thousands of LGBT youth and their families are testifying directly to legislators about the immediate and obvious harm these bills cause. These claims are supported by data: a 2023 Trevor Project survey found that 71 percent of LGBT youth surveyed and 86 percent of transgender and non-binary youth surveyed reported that laws restricting their rights had a negative impact on their mental health. Despite children’s clear messages of injustice and stigma, legislators continue to ignore their voices.

What would laws and policies look like if we truly considered the needs of all children, including LGBT children? These needs include security, privacy, access to healthcare, education and a sense of belonging. If governments prioritize these aspects, laws would aim to create an inclusive environment where every child could feel protected and respected, without fear of discrimination or stigmatization.

One of the fundamental principles of international human rights law is to look out for the best interests of the child—not only those who conform to traditional gender and sexual expectations, but also LGBT children. Viewed in this broad context, many recent laws and policies can be characterized as either insufficient or outright discriminatory.

LGBT children have the right to the same opportunities and protections as their peers who conform to traditional gender and sexuality norms. Governments must ensure their well-being by developing inclusive educational programs, providing adequate resources and support, and ensuring access to high-quality health services. Support and acceptance of LGBT children helps overcome discriminatory barriers and helps create a society in which all children receive care tailored to their individual needs.