TBILISI: Gay Book Controversy Roils Nation Of Georgia

The nation of Georgia has seen several demonstrations and assaults over the publication of a book by a 20 year-old author which mocks the Orthodox Church and depicts several gay sexual encounters. Via the Moscow Times:

The catalyst for the dispute was a provocative new book satirizing the church, the most respected institution in Georgia. Its title is an irreverent play on the Georgian phrase for the Last Supper, which can also be interpreted as “Holy Crap.” Orthodox activists held a demonstration calling for a ban on the book. Liberals responded with their own small protest for freedom of expression. But as soon as they gathered, they were assaulted by pious toughs who accused them of being anti-Christian traitors and promoters of homosexuality. According to an eyewitness, one of the assailants shouted: “Get out of this country! You are not Georgians! We will not forgive you because you’re corrupting the nation!” Among those who came out to support the traditionalists was Zviad Dzidziguri of the opposition Conservative Party, who portrays himself as a champion of democracy and is currently campaigning for the post of mayor of Tbilisi in elections on May 30. He suggested that the “sacrilegious” book should be suppressed and denounced together with “satanic” Halloween celebrations and gay pride parades.

VIDEO: A planned debate about the book at a Tbilisi television station erupted into assaults and arrests.

Tbilisi: Georgian Police Raid LGBT Center

Georgian LGBT organization The Inclusive Foundation reports that numerous members were detained by the police in a raid that occurred last week in Tbilisi.

On December 15 2009 the office of the Inclusive Foundation, a well known Georgian LGBT organisation, was raided by the police. They did not wear police uniforms, did not provide a search warrant, did not inform about their identity or agency they represented and did not explain the purpose of their intrusion. Members of the LGBT community were present in the office during the raid for a regular meeting of the "Women’s Club". The men confiscated cell phones of all those present in the office, did not allow them to contact their families, and made degrading and humiliating remarks, such as ‘perverts’, ‘sick persons’, Satanists. They threatened to take photos of the women and disseminate them to reveal their sexual orientation. They also threatened ‘to kill’ and ‘tear to pieces’ one of the leaders of the organisation, Eka Agdgomelashvili, if she did not stop demanding the search warrant and identification documents of the police.

Paata Sabelashvili, the leader of the organization, was arrested as a result of the raid. Soon after arrest he confessed to the possession of 8 grams of marijuana. However, because he made the confession before seeing his lawyer, without the presence of anyone except law enforcement officials, the validity and voluntary character of the confession is highly suspicious. Staff members of the organization are under continuous surveillance up till now. Their homes, movement in the city and office are under constant surveillance by cars full of men without uniform. One such car is permanently stationed outside the entrance to the house of one of the staff members.

A full accounting of the raid and its aftermath is here. (PDF)

(Tipped by JMG reader Sheepy)