LGBTQ rights in Georgia (country): Difference between revisions
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Homosexuality (adult male only) was criminalised by [[Joseph Stalin]] in 1933 and it is likely that many of those prosecuted under the article were sent to Siberian concentration camps. The article was also used by [[Soviet]] authorities against dissident movements, with many activists being arrested on trumped-up sodomy charges. After Georgia obtained its independence from the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991, this practice fell out of use and there are no recorded cases of sodomy article being openly used against political opponents ever since. |
Homosexuality (adult male only) was criminalised by [[Joseph Stalin]] in 1933 and it is likely that many of those prosecuted under the article were sent to Siberian concentration camps. The article was also used by [[Soviet]] authorities against dissident movements, with many activists being arrested on trumped-up sodomy charges. After Georgia obtained its independence from the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991, this practice fell out of use and there are no recorded cases of sodomy article being openly used against political opponents ever since. |
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Even as there are no recorded cases of prosecution for homosexuality in post-independence Georgia, same-sex sexual activity did not become legal until 2000, when the Georgian government put in place an amended criminal code to meet the standards set forth by the [[Council of Europe]] and the [[European Convention on Human Rights]].<ref name="ILGA 2010"/> |
Even as there are no recorded cases of prosecution for homosexuality in post-independence Georgia, same-sex sexual activity did not become legal in the country until 2000, when the Georgian government put in place an amended criminal code to meet the standards set forth by the [[Council of Europe]] and the [[European Convention on Human Rights]].<ref name="ILGA 2010"/> |
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The [[age of consent]] |
The [[age of consent]] for both heterosexual and homosexual sex stands at 16 years of age as set by the Georgian Penal Code Articles 140 and 141.<ref>[http://www.humanrights.ge/files/crcreport.pdf Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Georgia - A report prepared for the Committee on the Rights of Child 34th Session – Geneva, September 2003] Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved. June 25, 2011.</ref> |
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==Social attitude== |
==Social attitude== |
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Revision as of 00:18, 26 June 2011
- This article is about LGBT rights in the country of Georgia. For LGBT rights in the U.S. state of Georgia, see LGBT rights in the United States.
LGBTQ rights in Georgia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Legal since 2000[1] |
| Gender identity | - |
| Military | Unknown if gays and lesbians are allowed to serve openly |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation protection in labor code since 2006 |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | No legal recognition of same-sex relationships |
| Adoption | No recognition of same-sex adoptions |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Georgia face legal and psychological problems not experienced by non-LGBT residents of the country. While both male and female same-sex sexual activity is legal in Georgia, same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples. Even as Georgia's pro-Western government generally maintains a neutral position to comply with the minimum requirements set forth by the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights, the members of the LGBT community are frequently subjected to harassment and discrimination from the general public, which is still dominated by a mix of conservative Christian and Soviet influence.[1]
Law regarding same-sex sexual activity
Homosexuality (adult male only) was criminalised by Joseph Stalin in 1933 and it is likely that many of those prosecuted under the article were sent to Siberian concentration camps. The article was also used by Soviet authorities against dissident movements, with many activists being arrested on trumped-up sodomy charges. After Georgia obtained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, this practice fell out of use and there are no recorded cases of sodomy article being openly used against political opponents ever since.
Even as there are no recorded cases of prosecution for homosexuality in post-independence Georgia, same-sex sexual activity did not become legal in the country until 2000, when the Georgian government put in place an amended criminal code to meet the standards set forth by the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights.[1] The age of consent for both heterosexual and homosexual sex stands at 16 years of age as set by the Georgian Penal Code Articles 140 and 141.[2]
Social attitude
According to social attitude questionnaires, homosexuals remained one of the most disliked groups in society - with most respondents preferring an alcoholic rather than homosexual colleague at work. Conspiracy theories flooded the Georgian press warning the public against the prederast's mafia. The wider Georgian media generally censors the topic of homosexuality. In October 2007 one of the contestants on the reality TV show Bar-4 outed himself on public television. After reportedly receiving a call from the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church Ilia II of Georgia, the Georgian president allegedly pressured the producers of the show into evicting the gay participant from the TV program. [3].
The only LGBT group in Georgia, Inclusive Foundation, published Me Magazine since 2006 in order to raise awareness of LGBT issues and balance the mainstream Georgian media; there was, however, only one issue of this quarterly magazine in 2010 due to lack of funding.
Gender identity/expression
At least a dozen gender reassignment surgeries have been performed in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, with surgeons specializing in this procedure receiving both local and international patients. While Georgian citizens are free to adopt any name, male or female, it is unknown how the government treats requests for a gender change on official records.
Recognition of same-sex relationships
Georgia does not legally recognize same-sex unions.
Adoption
Same-sex couples are not able to adopt children in Georgia.
Discrimination protections
Since 2006, as part of the new Labor Code, discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is illegal in employment. This, however, only means that an employer will not be able to openly relieve a homosexual employee of duties.
See also
References
- ^ a b c "State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults" (PDF).
- ^ Report on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by Georgia - A report prepared for the Committee on the Rights of Child 34th Session – Geneva, September 2003 Geneva, Switzerland. Retrieved. June 25, 2011.
- ^ Chuck Stewart, 'The Greenwood Encyclopaedia of LGBT issues worldwide, 2010
