In a heartbreaking incident that has sent shockwaves through Georgia, Kesaria Abramidze, a prominent transgender woman, was brutally stabbed to death in her apartment on Wednesday. Authorities have labeled the attack as “premeditated,” occurring just a day after the ruling Georgian Dream party advanced a controversial “family values” bill that has drawn heavy criticism from both the European Union and various human rights organizations.
Abramidze, 37, was a trailblazer for LGBTQ rights in Georgia, being the first person in the country to publicly identify as transgender. She gained international recognition when she represented Georgia at the Miss Trans Star International contest in 2018 and amassed a following of over 500,000 on Instagram. Her life was tragically cut short when she suffered multiple stab wounds in what the interior ministry has described as a murder committed with “particular cruelty and aggravating circumstances on gender grounds.”
The timing of her death is particularly alarming, coinciding with the passage of a bill that has been compared to Russia’s notorious “gay propaganda” law. Critics argue that the legislation promotes stigma against LGBTQ individuals, with provisions that restrict discussions of same-sex relationships in educational institutions and media, ban gender transition, and invalidate same-sex marriages performed abroad. These developments have raised concerns about the growing intolerance and discrimination faced by LGBTQ individuals in the country.
In the wake of Abramidze’s murder, police have arrested a suspect identified by Georgian media as her boyfriend. The Equality Movement, an LGBTQ rights organization in Georgia, condemned the killing, stating on social media, “This is a wake-up call for Georgia. We must end intolerance and protect the lives of our community.”
The incident has sparked outrage among activists and government officials alike. Pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili, who has been at odds with the Georgian Dream party, called the murder “horrific” and urged the tragedy to serve as a wake-up call for Georgian society. Abramidze had previously voiced her concerns about the government’s handling of domestic violence and women’s rights, even fleeing abroad temporarily due to threats against her life.
The backdrop of political tensions in Georgia complicates the situation further, with critics accusing the ruling party of advancing an anti-Western, anti-liberal agenda ahead of crucial elections next month. The EU has expressed deep concern over the new measures, stating that they “undermine fundamental rights of Georgians and risk further stigmatization and discrimination of part of the population.”
