Georgian gay rally cut short by protestors, skirmishes

In a sign of just how difficult the nascent gay rights movement is in the relatively new, relatively democratic country of Georgia, protesters, led by leaders of the Orthodox Christian Church derailed a gay pride parade shortly after it was scheduled to get under way. Thousands of anti-gay protestors, some with signs reading “We don’t need Sodom and Gomorrah!” threatened to lash the participants with stinging nettles.

A similar rally in the capital of Tbilisi was also cut short last year when police, clearly outnumbered and overwhelmed, were forced to escort members of the LGBT community out of the square where they were set to march.

The reaction from the church was unsurprisingly pointed. Father David, a priest who was one of the organizers of Friday’s anti-gay rally, said the parade “insults people’s traditions and national sentiments.” His views, however, continue to represent the majority in a part of the world that has not nurtured democratic principles for long. President Vladimir Putin of Russia recently stated that he would review his relationship with France regarding adoptions after the nation recently legalized same-sex marriage. He argued that France must respect the “cultural norms” of his country.

These views are not just limited to the country’s elders whom one might expect to hold more traditional, more conservative views. Young people are equally aghast at homosexuality. According to a report on Ames, Iowa’s Channel 5, 21-year-old student Nikolai Kiladze said, “We are against the propaganda of homosexuality. If we need to allow parades like this in order to become a member of the European Union or other Western organizations and blocs, then I’m against joining these organizations.”

Georgia’s authorities had given the green light for the gay parade to take place, saying that all Georgian citizens, irrespective of their sexuality, are entitled to voice their views in public.