Georgian parliament approves anti-LGBTQ legislation, echoing measures in Russia

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s parliament has approved draft legislation curtailing LGBTQ+ rights, echoing laws adopted in neighboring Russia. The bill, introduced by the ruling party Georgian Dream earlier this year, includes bans on same-sex marriages, adoptions by same-sex couples and public endorsement and depictions of LGBTQ+ relations and people in the media. It also bans gender-affirming care. Russia has banned public endorsement of “nontraditional sexual relations” as well as gender-affirming care. In June, Georgia adopted a law that critics say will curb media freedom, requiring organizations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. That measure also echoes Russian laws.