The Georgian Parliament approved in its third and final reading the law on "family values and the protection of minors", which will impose radical restrictions on LGBT rights, Reuters reported, as quoted by News.bg.
The bill would give authorities the legal basis to ban Pride events and the public display of the LGBT rainbow flag, as well as to impose censorship on films and books.
The leaders of the ruling party "Georgian Dream" argue that this is necessary to protect traditional moral standards in Georgia, whose deeply conservative Orthodox Church is highly influential. According to activists, however, the measure aims to strengthen conservative support for the government ahead of parliamentary elections on October 26.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, a critic of the "Georgian Dream" whose powers are largely ceremonial, has indicated she will veto the bill. However, the ruling party and its allies have enough seats in parliament to overcome the veto.
LGBT rights are a hot topic in Georgia, where polls show widespread disapproval of same-sex relationships and the constitution bans same-sex marriage.