Supporters of 'family holiness' march in Tbilisi on Day Against Homophobia
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 May 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Supporters of 'family holiness' march in Tbilisi on Day Against Homophobia, 17 May 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59818d864.html [accessed 19 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 17, 2017 13:39 GMT
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Thousans of antigay activists marched in Tbilisi on May 17.
TBILISI – Thousands of antigay activists, including Georgian Orthodox priests, marched in Tbilisi on May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, And Biphobia.
The activists, some holding Orthodox Christian icons or Georgian flags, were marking the Day of Unity and Holiness of the Family – an event established by Georgian Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II in 2014 to counter the International Day Against Homophobia.
The influential patriarch has called on authorities to ban gay-rights rallies in the South Caucasus, calling them "an insult" to Georgian traditions.
In 2013, Georgian gay-rights defenders who tried to carry out a gay-pride march in Tbilisi were severely beaten by members of antigay groups.
This year, the Unity and Holiness march was held hours after hundreds of gay-rights activists rallied in downtown Tbilisi, protected by a heavy police presence.
Although homosexual relations were decriminalized in Georgia in the 1990s, antigay sentiment runs high.
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