Police secures Identity Press-Conference and Training

Tamar Paradashvili , www.media.ge 

Police secured the 10 May press-conference and training held by NGO Identity at Radisson Blue Iveria.

Representatives of the LGBT NGO notified journalists at the press-conference that 17 May on the International Day of Fight against Homophobia and Transphobia in front of the former Parliament building will be held a silent rally-flashmob during which rally participants wearing rainbow color clothing will protest against facts of discrimination of LGBT individuals in Georgia.  Today also, for the journalists who plan to cover the given rally and for all interested will be held a special training.

“Goal of the training is for reporters not to make mistakes when speaking about LGBT individuals and not to speak about them using insulting terminology which often happens in Georgian media.  Journalists will also learn other details about specifics of coverage of the given topics,” Natia Kharatishvili, Identity representative stated.  According to her, up to 20-25 journalists expressed readiness to participate in the training.

“There was information about an attacked planned at our press-conference so we notified law enforcers about it; that is why police is here today,” Kharatishvili stressed.

Representatives of Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights, New Generation for Democratic Georgia and Party Free Georgia protested against the press conference on the premises of the hotel.

“We do not plan to beat these people up; it is in their interests as after such incidents they receive grants and organize even worse actions.  There will be attempts to organize the parade, as they planned in previous years,” representative of the Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights Giorgi Galdava said in his speech and clarified that they “protest against the immorality that is happening here at this press-conference.  We do not want and will never allow for girly boys to organize a flashmob at Rustaveli Avenue which has seen the bloodshed of Georgians for morality and Georgian identity.  We protect the future of our children.”