Georgian President declines to sign controversial bill on Family Values and Protection of Minors

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, on Wednesday refused to sign the contentious On Family Values and Protection of Minors bill, which was initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party and adopted by the Parliament with 84 votes on September 17.

The draft law introduces regulations related to marriage, adoption, and foster care of minors, as well as restrictions on medical interventions for assigning individuals to a gender different from their biological sex. It also mandates how gender is recorded in official state documents, influences educational content, regulates public assembly and demonstrations, and addresses labor relations concerning biological sex.

Despite the president’s refusal to sign, the legislation will still move forward. According to Georgian law, if the president does not endorse a bill, the chairman of the parliament is required to sign it into law.
This bill has been condemned by the country’s foreign allies for its potential negative impact on human rights.