Jul 25, 2007Quickie Link: Rally in Georgia Cancelled After Threats from Orthodox Church
By vanrozenheim
(Tiflis, Georgia) - An event promoting tolerance and cultural dialogue in Georgia has been cancelled, after rumours spread that it was in fact a Gay parade. The highly influential head of the Georgian Orthodox church spoke out against the event. Organisers told the BBC they feared that the participants could have been attacked if it went ahead. Gays have come under attack in former Soviet republics, with the Orthodox Church one of their main foes. The head of the Georgian Orthodox church had also warned that any rally involving sexual minorities would cause widespread offence and "possibly lead to physical confrontation". Although homosexuality is legal, it is widely regarded as immoral. Gay rights activists in Georgia say Gays are often the targets for abuse and physical violence.
