Ten men have been arrested for LGBT activism as part of IDAHOT 2016 in Georgia

Ten men have been arrested while protesting for LGBT rights in Georgia as part of IDAHOT 2016, The International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia which was initiated to celebrate sexual and gender differences and to increase awareness among policymakers, the media and the public about the the violence and discrimination that LGBTI citizens face throughout the world.

The men, who were protesting in the former Soviet state of Georgia this morning, were arrested at first light, reports GSN. The men were arrested for painting the words “All love is equal” on the fence of a Georgian Orthodox Patriarch’s office.

Police have asserted that the activists could face charges ranging from vandalism to disregarding police orders.
 

Human Rights Watch has this to say on the state of affairs in Georgia: “Despite steps taken to deepen ties with the European Union including commitments to progress on human rights, Georgia continues to struggle with issues of discrimination and accountability.”

Georgia has a long way to go before LGBT people become an accepted part of society. According to a 2011 survey, 87% of respondents in Georgia indicated that homosexuality could never be justified.

In 2013, LGBT rights demonstrators were disrupted violently by anti-gay forces which included some clerics of the Georgian Orthodox Church, while in 2015 the European Court of Human Rights ordered the Georgian government to pay €33,500 to the affected activists.

(image via Flickr)