The United Nations and the Government of Sweden unveil research on human rights, legal protection and public attitudes towards the LGBTQI community in Georgia 

TBILISI. 6 May 2022 – The LGBTQI people remain one of the least protected and most marginalized social groups in Georgia. They face discrimination and violence, while the protection and realization of their rights remain a challenge. 

On the other hand, recent research  reveals that negative public attitudes towards the LGBTQI community have been decreasing in the last five years. A series of studies were conducted by Georgia’s Public Defender’s Office and the non-governmental organization ‘Women Initiatives’ Support Group’ (WISG) with assistance from the Government of Sweden and the United Nations through its three UN agencies – UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 

The results of the studies were presented to the public on 6 May. UN Resident Coordinator Sabine Machl, human rights defenders and representatives of Parliament, Government, the international community and civil society attend an event. 

The research captures the negative perception of the LGBTQI community in Georgia’s society but also highlights positive changes in public attitudes in the last five years. Since 2016, the number of people with an extremely negative attitude has decreased significantly. The number of respondents who think that the LGBTQI community strives for propaganda rather than equality decreased by 20.6 percent (55.9 percent in 2021 compared to almost 78 percent in 2016). The number of people with an extremely negative attitude towards the LGBTQI community and its human rights defenders dropped by around 20 percent and now hovers around 56 percent. 

48.2 percent of respondents still believe that LGBTQI people are fighting for privileges, while 39.5 percent are convinced that the rights of the LGBTQI community are fully protected. At the same time, 38.6 percent of the respondents highlight inadequate state response to the acts of violence and discrimination faced by the LGBTQI people. 

The studies were conducted under the UN Joint Programme for Gender Equality, a Sweden-funded initiative implemented by UN Women, UNDP and UNFPA. The reports include specific recommendations for the state agencies.