The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 22 other organizations advocating for press freedom on Monday in condemning Georgia’s Family Values Bill that would ban broadcasters from reporting on LGBTQ+ issues.
The bill would fine broadcasters who air content that promotes LGBTQ+ gender identification and relationships. Georgian press freedom advocates say state authorities often use legislation to fine opposition-leaning broadcasters.
Parliament passed the bill on September 17 and it must now be signed by President Salome Zourabichvili who has indicated that she will block it. But the ruling Georgian Dream party has enough support in parliament to override her.
The groups called on Georgian Dream to halt its legal attacks on press freedom and freedom of expression. In June, authorities enacted a Russian-style law requiring media outlets and nongovernmental organizations that receive funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents.”
Read the full statement here.