Church Lambasts Tbilisi Pride, Ambassadors, Announces Counter Rally

The Georgian Orthodox Church lambasted today Tbilisi Pride organizers and foreign diplomats over “supporting LGBTQ+ propaganda activities” and announced counter demonstration against the forthcoming March for Dignity on July 5.

Noting that the propagation of “perverted lifestyle” stirs tensions in the society, the Patriarchate called for “peaceful protest,” and asked its supporters “not to follow deliberate provocations.”

The Orthodox Church patriarchate accused the pride organizers and pride-supportive ambassadors of “putting pressure” against the country and “neglecting the choice of the vast majority” of the Georgian population.

“The drastic interference of certain embassies and some of the members of the European Parliament in our public and spiritual life is a matter of severe concern and unacceptable for our Church and our citizens, and we believe that it is an abuse of their authority,” asserted the Orthodox Church Patriarchate.

• Tbilisi Pride Forges Ahead, 23 Counterprotesters Detained
• Diplomatic Missions Urge Gov’t to Protect Pride Activists
• Orthodox Church Speaks Out Against Pride Week
• MEPs Call on Gov’t to Protect Tbilisi Pride Activists

Editorial note: The World Health Organization voted to remove homosexuality from the list of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) on May 17, 1990.

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