Georgia’s Ombudsperson demands safety for gay pride parade participants

It is not a solution to report threats to participants of a gay pride parade every year, and the police must ensure the possibility of holding the march, says Georgia’s Ombudsperson Nino Lomdjariya. LGBT activists should be refused in holding the “March of Dignity”, notes Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairman of the “Georgian Dream” Party.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that the LGBT community announced the “LGBT Week” for July 1-5 in Tbilisi, and the week is expected to be completed with the “March of Dignity”. The “Unity, Essence, Hope” Party, known with its Georgian abbreviation ERI, called on the authorities to ban the “March of Dignity” and threatened to hold contractions.

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) should submit information on what measures have been taken earlier to secure the safely for the gay pride parade, states Nino Lomdjariya. According to the Georgia’s Ombudsperson, in recent years, LGBT people “have encountered obstacles in exercising their constitutional right, that is, freedom of expression and assembly,” the “Georgia Online” reports.

Government’s refusals and protests by extremist groupings draw attention to the gay pride parade, notes Paata Mandjgaladze, an MP from the “Agmashenebeli's Strategy” Party. According to him, the Georgian Constitution does not ban such events. “If we are building a fair, democratic country, all the people should have the opportunity to go where they want to go,” stated Paata Mandjgaladze as quoted by the "InterPressNews".