The following trends were observed in June:

• Xenophobic statements largely coincided with those of the previous period and concerned the sale of land plots to foreigners, granting Georgian citizenship, and Turkey as a historical enemy. Moreover, the well-known message, "If Russia is an occupant, then Turkey is an occupant" was extended to other neighboring countries, namely, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

• At the same time, a relatively new message has emerged recently in relation to Russian intervention in Ukraine, claiming that Russia’s defeat in Ukraine will also end Georgia, as the country will find itself left vis-à-vis Iran and Turkey.

•  Islam has been cited as the main obstacle to Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

• Homophobic was the statement of the Prime Minister of Georgia when, speaking about changing the surrogacy policy, he emphasized the need to restrict LGBTQ+ couples from using this service. In some homophobic statements, the Pride organization, on the one hand, and Temur Chkonia, the owner of a McDonald's franchise in Georgia, on the other hand, were accused of promoting LGBTQ+ propaganda among minors.

• In his anti-Western comment with homophobic content, the Chairman of the ruling party, Irakli Kobakhidze, cited propaganda as the reason for the increase in the number of LGBTQ+ representatives; anti-Western was the claim alleging that the legalization of same-sex marriage was one of the requirements for EU membership.

• The sexist hate speech was directed, on the one hand, against President Salome Zourabichvili over her decision to pardon former Mtavari TV Director General Nika Gvaramia and, on the other hand, against journalists of other TV channels.

In June, the xenophobic statements were largely identical to those of the previous period and concerned the sale of land plots to foreigners, granting Georgian citizenship, and Turkey as a historical enemy. Moreover, the well-known message: "If Russia is an occupant, then Turkey is an occupant" was extended to other neighboring countries, Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the same time, a relatively new message has emerged recently in relation to Russian intervention in Ukraine, claiming that Russia’s defeat in Ukraine will also end Georgia, as the country will find itself left vis-à-vis Iran and Turkey.

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Sezoni TV presenter: “Let me first say that there are no prospects of that, but suppose Russia is defeated and completely destroyed. If such a thing happens, will Turkey help you regain Abkhazia? Will Turkey give you anything back? And in general, will Turkey let you go and not swallow you up? Iran and Turkey will then be given a free hand; who will let you exist? After the end of Russia, Georgia will end too.”

Mamuka Kartozia, Alliance of Patriots: “A general attitude towards Turkey, which has a very expansionistic politics… Lots of Georgians were agitated that Erdogan would win and supported him. Erdogan is a representative of typical Turkish expansionism… Turkey’s attitude is that it views us as its vassals, and that attitude will not change… We should recall our historical hardships too; attitude is key, that it perceives you as its province and sphere of influence, and there is nothing new in that.”

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Sezoni TV presenter: “Strengthening the Georgia-Russia relationship is the precondition for strengthening our country… We must ignore those provocations, when agents of the West kindle the narrative that we must not speak to Russia, that flights must not be allowed and that we must not have any contacts with it. Why then do you have contact and flights with Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia? Did they not seize our territories? Or are we not supposed to regain our territories? If Russia is considered an enemy, you should speak to your enemy first of all, shouldn’t you?”

Jaba Zhvania, presenter at Alt-Info: “For them [the United National Movement], the occupation, in general, means the Russian occupation alone; just go ask them about Davit Gareji, whether it belongs to us or to Azerbaijan or what.”

Selling Georgian land parcels to foreigners is unacceptable

Vazha Otarashvili, Alliance of Patriots: “…The Ministry of Economy modifies categories of land plots without reason…. They are offered on the market and sold for a pittance to Arabs, Iranians, Chinese, Indians, Turks, Russians, etc. This process is irreversible. We must recognize that Georgia is facing a catastrophe… if the Georgian state, the nation, does not have its own land, there will never be a state.”

Procedure for issuance of residence permit to foreign citizens must be toughened

Soso Shatberashvili, Leftist Alliance: “Why people who emigrated from here are denied our citizenship when, let me recall, Saakashvili on the last day of his presidency granted citizenship to 40,000 Turks… granted it without any explanation… He radically changed the demographic situation in Georgia, particularly in Adjara. What is the solution to the problem? He radically changed the demographic situation in Georgia, particularly in Adjara. What is the solution to the problem? We need to toughen the issuance of the right of residence, or as it is called..... residence permit... and, of course, ease dual citizenship for Georgians who have left Georgia.”

Alt-Info/Conservative Movement cited Islam as the main obstacle to Turkey’s accession to the European Union.

Giorgi Kardava, Alt-Info/Conservative Movement: “Why is Turkey not accepted into the EU? Because no one wants to see an 80 million-strong Islamic Country in the EU! They know that it will wield enormous influence inside the EU. These Europeans have numerous migrants in their countries, and with Turkey added, they would not be able to do anything.”

Lela Kakulia, foreteller: "For Armenians, almost everything in the world belongs to them. But let them be cautious not to lose Yerevan too! Armenia is surrounded by Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, i.e., it is confined within a Muslim loop, and the only rescue for it is Georgia, the Christian Georgia! The year 2014."

Some of the homophobic comments were related to a statement by Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili about the change to the surrogacy policy, in which he emphasized the need to restrict LGBTQ+ couples from using this service in Georgia. Some other homophobic statements presented the Pride Week scheduled for July as a threat to children and blamed the organizers of promoting LGBTQ+ community. Propaganda of homosexuality among children was also an accusation levelled at Temur Chkonia, the owner of a McDonald’s franchise in Georgia, because of the McDonald’s Happy Meal children menu containing a story of British performer Elton John. Homophobic were the statements authors of which demanded the prohibition of antidiscrimination law and “LGBT” propaganda.

McDonald’s conducts LGBT propaganda among children in Georgia

Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Dream: “Of course, it is shocking and outrageous, and under no circumstances should this propaganda be aimed at children. This is simply a catastrophe. I hope that representatives of the specific company will reconsider the content of their materials in this case. LGBT propaganda among children is shocking and categorically unacceptable for the absolute majority of society in Georgia.”

Statement of the Patriarchate of Georgia: “It has become known that McDonald’s is distributing children's gift books with homosexual content… This has caused justified heartache among the population. We believe that such an action is the propagation of false values, especially in Georgia, a country with an almost 2,000-year-long Christian spiritual and cultural heritage. Most importantly and especially disturbing is the sneaky and secretive behavior of those in charge of McDonald’s towards children. A discussion about healthy food that conceals a spiritual poison is well-calculated cunning.”

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Sezoni TV presenter: “We see how the situation is deteriorating in this regard, and the future of our children is being endangered. It has already reached McDonald’s. Unfortunately, Children like McDonald’s. And now a child will go there and find a book about Elton John in the Georgian language, containing the story of his deviant life. In short, they make attempts everywhere… Someone may say that it is not worth worrying about, but is it really not? When a six-year-old child reads about his perverted life, it will leave a trace on his memory and in a bad way, and it is already everywhere – TVs, media outlets, institutions.” 

Dachi Tsaguria, Georgia First: “I want to address Temur Chkonia [the owner of a McDonald's franchise in Georgia and founder of Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia]: Temur, your private life is not our business; you may get a husband or marry Saakashvili or someone else. We are not interested in your private life. Just leave our children alone. Leave our future alone. Remove that abomination from the [McDonald’s] chain, or else wherever you go, we will pour your Coca-Cola on your head.”

Aleksandre Palavandishvili, presenter at Alt-Info: “For them now, the target group is children. Now let’s look at the esthetics of that pride—it is in the colors with which they should attract children... They have started talking openly about what they did not dare to say in Georgia until now: that their door is open to children, and they are placing an emphasis on children.This is the Western liberal LGBT movement that has already been copied and put into practice in Georgia. It is therefore important to nip it in the bud, to not give them the right to corrupt and demoralize our children and future generations.”

Zviad Avaliani, POSTV presenter: “We have witnessed a new attack coming from liberal fascism. Our children have been targeted as part of the so-called LBGTQ+ week or month. Our children and youth have been their main targets before, and now they have directly and openly engaged in spreading propaganda.... All this has already overstepped the boundaries of protection of rights and turned into open propaganda, the imposition of certain rules and norms unacceptable for Georgian and even American society.... How can we distinguish between human rights and propaganda?”

Vazha Otarashvili, Alliance of Patriots: "It is all the government’s fault! By passing an anti-discrimination law, the government has given free rein to this LGBT propaganda. By legalizing marijuana, it has given free rein to a situation where our future generation is, excuse the slang, getting stoned. Go and see what is going on in the nightclubs, what is going on in Deda Ena Park in the evenings, etc. One cannot figure out who is with whom, what gender, and what is going on."

Shota Glurjidze, painter: “When you allow an anti-discrimination law to be passed in Georgia in the form it was passed here ... and implement LGBT policies here - the policy of LGBTism, and allow millions of other horrible things that are unacceptable to our culture, traditions and customs.”

Vasil Kapanadze, expert in international relations: “We must be as many as people, the people who will more aggressively demand from the government that the law prohibiting LGBT propaganda be adopted after all, and that will end all this hullaballoo.”

Dito Chubinidze, journalist for Asaval-Dasavali newspaper: “The government of Georgia should immediately pass a law that will ban LGBT propaganda, Pride events, etc. in Georgia. Look and observe them, what perverted and immoral people they are - I am talking about these LGBT beings, they have desecrated and dishonored everything holy, sublime, unattainable and heavenly. All mankind, the greatest writers, the greatest poets, including Georgian poets, have sung the color of sky-blue - they have desecrated and appropriated this color. Rainbow from time immemorial was considered a sublime and sacred symbol - they took possession of the colors of the rainbow. The lion from time immemorial has been considered the king of beasts, and the family of lions is called the Pride - they, these Conchitas, have taken possession of the Pride.”

In June, anti-Western comments were made in relation to the EU candidate status and promoted the opinion that the EU, in exchange for granting the candidate status and allowing to integrate, demanded from Georgia that it strengthen the protection of LGBT rights, including legalize same-sex marriage; in addition, it was alleged that in the process of migration, European countries were giving preference to LGBTQI+ applicants. In anti-Western statements with homophobic content, it was alleged that the increase in the number of homosexuals in Western countries was a direct result of LGBT propaganda.

The number of homosexuals is constantly increasing in the West

Giorgi Kardava, Conservative Movement: “Among Generation Z, it reaches almost 20%, i.e., every fifth is already LGBT. Why? Because of total propaganda, and besides, they need such a hellish, inhuman right to destroy children and ruin their health.”

Zaza Shatirishvili, philosopher: “As already mentioned, the proportion of LGBT individuals among young Americans has reached 20%, and among young Frenchmen - 22%, and this figure is growing faster and faster every year. At the current trend, in a couple of decades the number of LGBT among Americans and French people of reproductive age will exceed 50%. Against the background of parallel campaigns promoting so-called family planning and abortion, America and France are not far from the situation described by Huxley in his Brave New World. The situation is similar in Britain, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium and other European countries where pseudo-liberal ideology has gained supremacy over other ideologies. The spread of this ideology puts any other country under exactly the same threat.”

ntegration/candidate status to the EU = imposition of LGBTQI+ topics on Georgia

Davit Tarkhan-Mouravi, Alliance of Patriots: “I have said that when you [the government of Georgia] fulfill 12 points [12 EU recommendations for the award of the status of candidate], they will come up with other new four points. For example, they will choose such a thing that is the hardest topic for Georgia, for instance, LGBT topic. Let’s say you fulfilled those 12 points, then they will tell you that now, you must have LGBT everywhere and in everything - posters, schools, kindergartens, etc. They will come up with such a topic that will be absolutely impossible and unachievable.”

Archprest Spiridon Tskipurishvili: “To be admitted to the EU, we must legalize the sodomy in Georgia. Consequently, everyone, both pro-Westerners and anti-Westerners know well that pro-Westernism is a synonym to gay activism, all pro-Westerners are gay activists. I am not saying that all pro-Westerners are pederasts, although all pederasts are pro-Westerners, but all pro-Westerners are gay activists and unfortunately, this is the situation that such pro-Westerners, i.e., gay activists are not few. Look at the clergy – a religious servant who openly supports pro-Westernism is a gay activist and defiles solea; this is a fact, and we live in this reality.

Beso Barbakadze, journalist for Georgian and World: “Our Constitution clearly states that the family is the union of a woman and a man. We must defend this provision and must not abandon it under any circumstances. Even if we are immediately admitted to the EU in exchange for the removal of this rule, we must resist it, because it concerns the future of our children, the future of the nation, the survival of the nation. No one speaks about this problem publicly and loudly for various reasons - either out of respect for the West, or out of fear or expected negative reaction from the West. However, you can see to what extremes we have reached: it is considered “uncool” to tell a girl to get married or to tell a guy to get married and to raise the flag of Georgia high.”

In the process of migration, European countries were giving preference to LGBTQI+ applicants

Beso Barbakadze, journalist for Georgian and World: “Expulsion of illegal Georgian migrants from European countries is an ordinary thing and more than 98% of asylum seekers are refused asylum. However, in any European country it is enough to prove that you are an LGBT activist and therefore afraid to return to Georgia, so that you will not only be granted asylum, but will also be assigned a rehabilitation course, psychologically preparing you to defend the LGBT community, and you will have no problems with employment. This means that in order to officially stay in Europe for a long time, you have to be able to pretend, otherwise they are not interested in you and you are simply nothing to them.”

The sexist hate speech was directed, on the one hand, against President Salome Zourabichvili over her decision to pardon former Mtavari TV Director General Nika Gvaramia and, on the other hand, against journalists of other TV channels.

Attacks based on moral criteria

Tristan Tsitelashvili, military expert: “This is another mistake [pardoning Nika Gvaramia] out of many mistakes made of this coquettish, clownish woman [Salome Zourabichvili] tramping around the streets. This shameless woman who, let’s just recall the events of March, called on the rebels here from the USA  and encouraged them saying that it was an integral part of democracy.”

Slut-shaming

Nikoloz Mzhavanadze, Sezoni TV presenter: “We have TV-sex divas, women have fallen into Saakashvili’s bed, whose only dream is to be in Saakashvili’s bed again. Tea Adeishvili shed her weight in vain, because she will never find herself in Saakashvili’s bed. These tele-sex divas have undergone surgeries in vain, because….”