The following trends were observed in April: 

• Statements discriminating on religious grounds concerned the Evangelical-Baptist Church, and Muslims. Antisemitic comments made in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war accused Ukraine and its president of fighting against the Russian Orthodox Church;

• A number of xenophobic comments were directed against migrants in Georgia, while anti-Azerbaijani messages presented the resettlement of Azerbaijanis in Georgia as a threat. Turkophobic statements made against the background of ongoing elections in Turkey linked a possible change of Turkish government to the threat of loss of Georgian identity; as in previous months, a false dichotomy was created between Turkey's past, historical occupation of Georgia and Russia’s current occupation of Georgia;

• A number of homophobic comments made in April related to a book published by Bakur Sulakauri Publishing House, and a report about the book aired on the Georgian Public Broadcaster. Other homophobic comments related to the Budweiser beer campaign, which aimed to increase the visibility of transgender people; 

• Anti-Western messages portrayed the West as an entity that has no respect for national cultures and only protects the LGBTQ community, while stressing that Russia, China, and Qatar have laws regulating homosexuality. Homophobic comments were also made about Joe Biden’s official statement on the Transgender Day of Visibility, and about the demographic threat posed by homosexuality to the West;

• In April, Tinatin Kavtaradze, a teacher at Ilia State University, was the target of sexist hate speech based on photos posted on her personal social network. In addition to misogynistic remarks, the comments also contained slut-shaming.

In April, discriminatory statements on religious grounds were directed against Jews, the Evangelical-Baptists Church, and Muslims. In addition, these remarks were mostly about the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both anti-Semitic statements and Islamophobic comments referred to Ukraine, while at the same time the political actions taken by the Ukrainian government against the Russian Church in Ukraine were described as fighting against Orthodox Christianity.

Guram Palavandishvili, the Society for Children's Rights: “You know full well who is the president of Ukraine today… Today, Ukraine has the president who is a Judaist; the Judaist who is a man wearing women’s tights, a fag, a fag clown, and Judaist. [Judaism] is a religion that opposes Christ. They [Judaists] are crucifiers of Christ and waiting for the second coming, they will not recognize… It is a fact that he ordered all that mess, he wants to destroy the Church and not only that.”

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter of Sezoni TV: “Today, Zelenskyy has declared war not only on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which is subordinated to the Patriarch of Russia, but also on the God… This decision is expected to cause a split in the Ukrainian government, and Ukrainians themselves may depose Zelenskyy, because today, no one will allow [Zelenskyy] to get away with such a fight declared against Orthodox Christianity, the clergy, the metropolitan whom Ukrainians admire. Today, the laity and clergy are preparing to defend Metropolitan Pavel because his authority is enormous and it is precisely because of his authority that attempts are made drive this man out of the Lavra.”

Shota Martinenko, Alt-Info / Conservative Movement: “There is a big difference whether a Ukrainian fights against a Seljuk who is going to occupy and seize Ukraine or fights against a Russian? This matters greatly, doesn’t it? Does it not matter whether it is an Orthodox Russian who is coming or a Muslim Turks? It matters; it does matter for a Turk too.”

The xenophobic statements made in April again targeted migrants, Turks and Azerbaijanis. Migrants were linked to problems of unemployment and land sales; also, the resettlement of Azerbaijanis in Georgia was presented as a threat. A possible change of government in Turkey as a result of elections in that country was linked to the threat of loss of Georgian identity, while Russia was presented as the guarantor of protection against this threat. The message that has been promoted for many years, equating the current Russian occupation of Georgia with the historical Turkish occupation, was maintained in April.

Migrants take jobs away from Georgians / threaten the loss of identity  

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter of Sezoni TV: “The other day, I entered a shop on Marjanishvili Street to find there a cashier who was either Iranian or Arab…. Jobs have already been taken over as they are occupied by other nationalities. People are leaving Georgia and why on earth should this country be called Georgia if Georgians are no longer in it?”

Tristan Tsitelashvili, military expert: “Mind my words, friends, that if we do not save the future of our country, we will stop existence, Georgian people will not exist any longer. Georgia as a country will remain but Georgia will be inhabited by Iranians, Turks, representatives of other religions and other beliefs.”

Anzor Meskhishvili, independent expert: “There was a time when agricultural plots of land were sold directly. without any problems… In general, the sale of land to foreigners poses a problem. It is a well-known fact that in the 19th century, the Vachnadze family moved three families from Azerbaijan to Lagodekhi to look after Vachnadze’s cattle, and over time, the Azerbaijani settlement grew into the entire village. I can understand renting out plots of land, but they shall not be sold to foreigners.”

 Keto Gogokhia, writer for Rezonansi newspaper: “Foreigners are busy buying land parcels in Georgia. They may be rented out, but shall not be sold to foreigners. The world's population is growing rapidly, and land will become worth its weight in gold.”

Davit Zirakishvili, League for Protection of Article Five of Constitution: “Russia will be an emergency exit for us, if there is a change of government in Turkey, but if it, God forbid, changes, Turkey, this time as a servant of the USA, will suppress us and upon its instruction, we will have no national government at all, and this political garbage called opposition, with their LGBT community, excuse my language, these prostitutes and sodomites, they will sit on our heads and kick all patriot and normal persons out, and there will be a second Sodom and Gomorrah here….. Therefore, this exit to Russia and mending relationship with Russia are vital actions on the part of the government for Georgia…”

If Russia is an occupier, Turkey is an occupier too

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter: “I wonder, if you deem Russia unacceptable because it has occupied the territories, what about Turkey? What did Turkey do? Has Turkey given territories back to Georgia, has it returned Tao-Klarjeti? Or since it happened long time ago, we should forget all that.”

Giorgi Kardava, Alt-Info / Conservative Movement: “We also do not have good relationship with Turkey, which as of now, has been trying to carry out cultural and religious expansion in one of our regions, in Adjara, and this is a fact. Some may not have been in Adjara, but those who have been must have seen that the Turkish economic influence is very strong there and this is no accident; the Turks are making efforts in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, which Turkey, under the 1920 Treaty of Kars, agreed to keep as an autonomy within Georgia and Turkey has agreed to the autonomy with a view to return to this issue in future when it becomes strong - this information is for public to be aware; Turkey believes that now it is the time for this stage and the moment to take aggressive steps has not come yet.”

Ramaz Gagnidze, Georgian Mission: “Turkey is waiting for something to happen in the Western Georgia and in particular, Meskhet-Javakheti, Guria, and Adjara, so that it has a reason to enter the country and rip it up into several parts.”

A number of homophobic comments referred to the children’s book “Lullaby Stories for Rebellious Girls” which had been published by Bakur Sulakauri Publishing House, and a report about the book which was aired by the Georgian Public Broadcaster. Anti-Western media published statements calling for a ban on the coverage of topics that were related to the LGBTQ community.

Homophobic comments were also made in connection with the Budweiser beer campaign, which aimed to increase the visibility of transgender people.

In April, homophobic comments were again made against participants in rallies staged to voice protest against the draft law on the Transparency of Foreign Influence, accusing young activists of the attempt to stage a coup.

Bakur Sulakauri Publishing House propagates immorality among the youth

Propaganda of homosexuality on TV channels pursuing a pro-government editorial policy is unacceptable

Davit Zirakishvili, League for Protection of Article Five of Constitution: “The Public Broadcaster has become an LGBT brothel and the government should timely take action against that; these dark communists have been agitating and propagating, the agitation and propaganda is being done to pervert the nation and the government and almost all government forces are already fully engaged and involved in it; let me say it again that genetically they are non-Georgians … The nation is dying, the mortality rate has exceeded the birth rate, so the government has to take action whether they want it or not…”

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter of Sezoni TV: “The fact that the pro-government TV channels, Channel 1 [of the Public Broadcaster] and others have turned into lesbian channels, into pornographic hubs, is something that needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.”

Budweiser is engaged in propaganda of transgender people, thereby offending men

Shota Martinenko, Alt-Info / Conservative Movement: “The commercial for it [Budweiser beer], this company, was made by a transgender person, and in doing so the company has actually spat in the soul of beer-loving Americans who have felt offended..." Giorgi Kardava, Conservative Movement: “With that promotional video, I think, the Budweiser company has spat in the soul of all men… all normal men.”

LGBT activists plan to stage a military coup

Dito Chubinidze, journalist for Asaval-Dasavali newspaper: “Dark clouds have gathered over Georgia as over the entire world, and we are facing a threat of a gay-fascist military coup. Gay fascists, LGBT activists, Conchitas, collective Lazare Grigorians – he is not Grigoriadis, or is he a she? He is a girl, or an effeminate boy, this representative of unidentified sexual orientation and a stone-hurling spy for a certain political gang.”

Anti-Western statements continued to promote the opinion that the West imposes on us homosexuality/perversion. At the same time, in contrast, Russia, China, and Qatar were presented as countries that legally regulate homosexuality. A number of comments were also made about the US President’s statement in support of the Transgender Day of Visibility, and the demographic threat posed by homosexuality to the West.

The West imposes homosexuality/propagates perversion

Giorgi Kardava, Conservative Movement: “Show me, please, if there is anything else Western in this country and I will shut up. Show me anything else but perversion, pederasty, cheating, feminism, misery over these 30 years and I will shut up, turn off this laptop and never appear on air.”

Spiridon Tskipurishvili, archbpriest: “When we say that this perversion has been imposed on us, we must say it all the way down… who imposes it on us; it is, of course, the liberal West that imposes it on us, and by whose hands does it impose on us? Certainly by the hands of the government … The process of perverting the nation is being carried out in stages … this is what threatens us, my friends, Georgians.”

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter of Sezoni TV: “Biden has made a statement that transgender people are part of their national identity - what should be said to that? Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow the Americans will demand that we have transgender people elected to parliament, because that's the way it is there; so, this drive to Europe will ruin us.”

Homosexuality poses a  demographic threat to the West

Guram Palavandishvili, Society for the Protection of Children's Rights: "The population in Europe and the West can no longer increase... all nations are dying. Families are no longer formed in the West. Virginity does not exist at all, and homosexuality is leading the country. Literally, there are either homosexuals or their supporters."

Irakli Gogava, Political Scientist: "Decreasing the birth rate is taken to the level of religion all over the world; they even do the same to themselves. Liberalism preaches the need to increase the LGBT community, which is a direct measure to reduce birth rate... Therefore, supporting liberalism, where 3/4 or 2/3 of their measures serve one thing, to reduce birth rate in Georgia, is categorically unacceptable to us."

Homosexuality is banned in  Russia, China and Qatar

Guram Palavandishvili, the Society for Children's Rights: “The main front of the struggle today is against LGBT people. In Turkey, for example, LGBT is banned… In China it is legally unacceptable, in Russia LGBT is banned, and in Qatar it is banned.  In fact, today, LGBT, that is, the sodomya, is the main thing that the West has promoted in order to enable anti-Christ forces to win.”

Shota Martinenki, Alt-Info / Conservative Movement: “Do you aspire to the West? You are a gay activist. We do not aspire. We do not aspire because being a Westerner means being a gay activist. Therefore, we are not gay activists. And you are… ‘There are such things in Russia, too,’ and that kind of talk won't get you anywhere. In Russia, people like that will be arrested.”

Guram Palavandishvili, the Society for Children's Rights: “Russia is the best of all because it is not LGBT, and at the same time it is Orthodox Christian. So, it is perfect for us, but Russia cannot be alone, it needs an alliance. Let’s say it finds China and maybe, at some point, Turkey as its allies. Russia cannot be friends with an LGBT country, so the main thing is ideology.”

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter of Sezoni TV: “Yes, there is perversion in Russia and, excuse my language, pederasty and all kinds of filth and meanness, but there is no propaganda about it. Today, you will not see films, or, for example, a program with this sort of perversion as [Ia Parulava’s TV program “Envelope”]. I am talking about the nationwide channels.”

The USA is a supporter of transgender people

Dito Chubinidze, journalist for Asaval-Dasavali newspaper: “[Joe] Biden, the president of Conchitas, who has said that the spirit of homosexuals is the spirit of Americans, which means that the spirit of America is the stinking spirit of some latent or non-latent gays. When president says that it is the end of everything.”

Shota Martinenko, presenter: “[Biden said that] pedophiles represent the spirit of their country… Do we have to explain to our pederasts? What should we explain to you? They said that transgenders are their spirit – should we explain to people, that it is wrong to want transgenders? If you want them, let them be, but if you want to integrate with those where there are transgender people, there will be moral implications for us.”

In April, Tinatin Kavtaradze, a teacher at Ilia State University, was the target of sexist hate speech based on photos posted on her personal Facebook page. In addition to misogynistic remarks, the comments also contained slut-shaming.

Slut-shaming

Dito Chubinidze, journalist for Asaval-Dasavali newspaper: “… Judging by what I have seen, this lady [Tinatin Kavtaradze] is a prostitute… Shota Rustaveli said about Phatman that she was a ‘wanton, harlot woman’ and I will say, after what I have seen, that in my opinion this lady, Tinatin Kavtaradze, is a harlot… It is not a freedom of expression when she enters the audience of students to give a lecture in this form; how does she stay alive and … why was she not turned over at the lecture?….”

Misogyny/anti-feminism

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, presenter of Sezoni TV: “I knew there were enemies of the church at Ilia State University, but I think this university is skewed in a slightly different direction, and one of them is this kind of lecturer Tinatin Kavtaradze... What a deplorable situation our education system is in, if such people are lecturing [Tinatin Kavtaradze’s photo session]… If lecturers at Ilia University are chosen based on the parameters of beauty, this is a very good choice because according to these parameters, she is the best teacher, but I do not know how good this lady is according to the parameters of teaching.”