"Men's milk, women's pads, the trial of the opposition" – a pre-election interview with Bidzina Ivanishvili
Ivanishvili on banning the opposition and LGBT rights
Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party and an oligarch, made several bold statements in an interview with the pro-government TV channel “Imedi” on October 21.
He once again threatened the opposition with persecution, spoke about pressure on Georgia from a mysterious “global party of war,” and shared stories that have already sparked memes about “the effects of LGBT propaganda in the West,” specifically mentioning “men’s milk” and “women’s pads in men’s restrooms.”
Georgia is in a tense pre-election period, with critically important parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26.
Here’s a summary of what Ivanishvili talked about:
Ban and prosecute the opposition
“There are forces [in the opposition] that are very dangerous for the country. It’s dangerous to keep them in politics. This is an evil force, enemies of the country. There are many global precedents for banning political parties. One can recall how the Nuremberg Trials were conducted in fascist Germany. We also have the necessary documentation [against the opposition].
If the tumor is not cut out, it will spread.”
Ivanishvili also stated that “Georgian Dream” hopes to secure a constitutional majority following the October 26 elections in order to “finally rid the country of this plague.”
Prosecute opposition leader and former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia as a “leading agent of the global party of war”
“Foreign forces have long been preparing Georgia for war, and Gakharia was part of that plan. We will prove everything he did and why he did it. We will show how he helped organize things so that Georgia would be dragged into the war on the second day.
All the documents are ready for trial. They must be strictly punished – both him and members of his party. I am most angry with them. Most of them were members of ‘Georgian Dream’ and entered parliament under our mandates. Now they are echoing the narrative of the ‘National Movement,’ and they certainly deserve strict punishment, which they will undoubtedly receive.”
Ivanishvili also used offensive language toward Giorgi Gakharia.
Giorgi Gakharia served as minister of internal affairs from 2017 to 2019, later becoming prime minister. He resigned dramatically in February 2021, citing disagreements with the ruling party’s policies. Shortly afterward, Gakharia formed the opposition party “For Georgia,” which, according to various polls, is expected to secure enough votes to surpass the 5% threshold in the October 26 elections.
The government’s public attack on Giorgi Gakharia began a week ago with a sudden statement from the ruling party’s secretary, Mamuka Mdinaradze. He told journalists that Gakharia is an influential agent of extremely powerful “external forces,” who allegedly forced the Georgian government to place him in high-ranking positions. Mdinaradze refused to disclose who these powerful forces are.
“Georgia and Ukraine were deliberately kept out of NATO to use them in the conflict with Russia”
“In Europe and America, they declare that NATO will not participate in the conflict with Russia. Georgia and Ukraine were prepared for this role; this was planned as far back as 2008, which is precisely why these two countries were not admitted to NATO.
Now, Western politicians say they will provide Ukraine with weapons, money, and all necessary resources, but the manpower must come solely from Ukraine.”
One of the key points of the “Georgian Dream” election campaign is the claim that they are maintaining peace in the country and allegedly resisting the West, which is trying to drag Georgia into a war with Russia. The European Union and the United States have called these statements false and Russian-style disinformation, officially cutting off contact with Georgia’s government and ruling party.
“In Georgia, the growth is so significant in all areas that they will beg us to join the EU”
“Georgia will enter the European Union with its head held high. No one in the world can compare to Georgia; there is an economic boom here. Miracles are happening; we are number one in the world. All cities have changed. Everything has increased threefold or more in every area.
At the same time, we firmly support European values. But we will not wage war or impose sanctions; we are not destroying the country’s economy. The main thing is that we become stronger, and they will beg us to join Europe. I guarantee you that.”
Georgia has received candidate status for EU membership. However, the process of European integration has now been halted. The EU stated that this decision was made in response to the adoption of anti-democratic laws, including those related to “foreign agents,” as well as the regular disinformation spread by the Georgian authorities regarding Western countries.
Leaders of the European Union and European nations have warned the Georgian leadership that they are steering the country toward a pro-Russian course and away from Europe.
Ivanishvili is ready to meet with the U.S. ambassador and “establish relations”
“Last week, I called the U.S. ambassador, requested a meeting, and said that the issues we had are resolved, so from my side, there are no more problems, and I am ready for a meeting.”
Previously, Bidzina Ivanishvili had declined offers for meetings both from the U.S. Embassy in Georgia and from high-ranking representatives of the U.S. State Department.
“Sanctions are a tool of the global party of war, but they will not be able to suppress Georgia”
“Punishments and sanctions have had the opposite effect; they did not work and will not work. This is blackmail from the party of the global war, the masters of the Georgian opposition. What they wanted, in my opinion, has resulted in the opposite outcome, as the public is already irritated by incorrect and biased statements.”
“LGBT propaganda is a super-modern weapon of conquest”
This is the wording used by Bidzina Ivanishvili. He devoted a large part of the interview to exposing the “horrors of gay parades” and shared astonishing stories that have already generated numerous memes on social media.
Ivanishvili also shared his observations about what is happening in Western countries:
● “Hygienic pads are being placed in men’s restrooms.”
● “They claim that men’s milk is the same as women’s.”
● “Orgies of all kinds are taking place right on the streets.”
● “They insist on not calling a woman a woman and a man a man.”
● “In kindergartens, children under five are being taught sexual education.”
● “A teacher in one of the Western countries has been imprisoned for the second time for openly stating that there are only two genders—male and female—and that there are not thousands of others.”
Another key point of the “Georgian Dream” election campaign is the fight for traditional values, the sanctity of the family, and opposition to “LGBT propaganda.” In September, the ruling majority in parliament adopted a discriminatory and homophobic anti-LGBT law that severely restricts the rights of the LGBT community and introduces censorship.
