DRI: Homophobia and Anti-Gender Rhetoric Integral to Georgian Dream’s Ultra-Conservative Turn

On July 3, the Democracy Research Institute published a report on Anti-Gender Rhetoric and Gender Stereotypes in Social Media from January 2023 to May 2024. The report emphasizes that since 2023, the Georgian Dream government has turned increasingly towards ultra-right, ultra-conservative ideologies and has used homophobic, misogynistic, and anti-gender language to gain support from conservative voters in the upcoming elections.

The legislative changes presented during the reporting period show that the government is increasingly inclined toward discrimination on the basis of gender, sex, and sexual identity. These changes include the anti-LGBTQ+ constitutional amendments, the elimination of quotas for women, and the removal of the LGBTQ+ issue from the National Strategy for the Protection of Human Rights.

The main targets of sexist discrimination during the reporting period were the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, and the leaders of the opposition parties – the leader of Droa, Elene Khoshtaria, and the leader of Lelo, Salome Samadashvili. The language used against them was a direct criticism of them as women – their bodies, their mental abilities, their sexual activities, and their political life. According to DRI, the goal of these discriminatory orchestrated campaigns is to push women out of political life.

Homophobia also became politicized. As May 17, 2023 approached, homophobic narratives from the government, pro-government media, and far-right groups intensified. On July 8, 2023, a “Tbilisi Pride” festival was attacked by violent groups with the indirect support of the Government. This period was characterized by the political instrumentalization of homophobia and appeals to the emotions of supporters. Homophobic speeches by Georgian Prime Ministers at conservative conferences in Budapest on May 4, 2023, and April 25, 2024, also showed the turn in ideology.

Recommendations

The Democracy Research Institute provides recommendations to improve the situation in Georgia:

The Government should stop the political instrumentalization of homophobia and the direct or indirect support of violent groups;
The authorities must ensure the protection of the rights and safety of the LGBTIQ+ community and vulnerable groups of women, including the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly and expression;
The civic sector should actively inform the public about the threats posed by the anti-gender/anti-feminist agenda of the Government and far-right groups;
Research organizations should study the root causes that fuel extremist groups;
Women’s rights organizations should include in their strategic action agendas the challenge of the violent practices that Government officials, along with right-wing extremist groups, are trying to normalize.

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