Transgender woman stabbed to death in Georgia amid LGBTQ bill controversy

A transgender model and prominent public figure from Georgia has been fatally stabbed in her apartment in what authorities describe as a "premeditated" attack. This incident comes amid growing criticism of a government crackdown on LGBTQ rights.

Kesaria Abramidze, 37, an actress and influencer, was killed in a knife attack on Wednesday. Her death occurred just a day after a bill promoting “family values” passed its final reading. This law has been likened to Russia's “gay propaganda” law and has been condemned by the European Union and human rights organizations for its negative impact on LGBTQ individuals.

Abramidze was the first person in Georgia to publicly come out as transgender. She represented Georgia at the Miss Trans Star International contest in 2018 and had over 500,000 Instagram followers.

On Thursday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that Abramidze suffered “multiple stab wounds” and that an investigation is underway into the “premeditated murder committed with particular cruelty and aggravating circumstances on gender grounds.”

Georgian media indicate that a male suspect has been arrested in connection with the crime.

The ruling Georgian Dream party has faced long-standing accusations of promoting homophobia and transphobia, as well as pushing an anti-Western, anti-liberal agenda ahead of next month's elections.

Pro-EU President Salome Zurabishvili, who has been at odds with the government, condemned the “horrific murder” in a Facebook post, stating that “the tragedy must awaken Georgian society.”

Abramidze had previously criticized the government's stance on domestic violence and women's rights. In April, she mentioned that she had to temporarily flee abroad due to threats from a former partner, saying, “No to the femicide that has become so frequent in our country!”

In 2022, Georgia's own rights ombudsman noted that “LGBT+ people face persistent discrimination and violence in all spheres of life.”

The new measures, awaiting approval from Zurabishvili or the parliament’s speaker, include restrictions on the promotion of same-sex relationships and incest in educational institutions and TV broadcasts. They also ban gender transition, adoption by same-sex couples and transgender individuals, and nullify same-sex marriages performed abroad.

Critics have denounced the legislation for equating LGBTQ relationships with incest. Amnesty International labeled the measures as “homophobic and transphobic,” while Brussels warned that the bill “undermines fundamental rights of Georgians and risks further stigmatisation and discrimination of part of the population.”

This development follows another contentious bill passed less than a year ago concerning “foreign agents,” which sparked prolonged protests and political unrest. This bill requires media and NGOs to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive over 20 percent of their funding from abroad, drawing comparisons to similar legislation in Russia used to target political dissent.