30 August 2018, 18:00
Georgian footballer persecuted for his action in defence of LGBT
Announcements of nationalists' protest actions, flash mobs in social networks and an UEFA award followed the entrance to the football pitch with a rainbow bandage of Guram Kashiya, a football player of the Georgian national team.
In October 2017, Guram Kashiya triggered a scandal, when he appeared on the pitch with a captain's armband, made in the style of the rainbow flag of LGBT activists.
On August 29, the "JAMnews" wrote that Kashiya's act caused outrage among the fans, who demanded to exclude him from the Georgian national team. On August 22 this year, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) decided to award Guram Kashiya with the Equality Prize for the support of the LGBT community, which caused a second wave of aggression against him, notes the outlet.
The football match within the framework of the UEFA Nations League of national teams of Georgia and Latvia, to be held in Tbilisi on September 9, will be held against the background of protest actions, Konstantin Morgoshiya, one of the founders of the Georgian March Movement, said on August 29.
According to Morgoshiya, protests will be cancelled only if Kashiya does not appear on the pitch.
Meanwhile, the Georgian segment of the Internet has launched a campaign in support of Guram Kashiya. Users are uploading his photos with a hashtag #guramwearewithyou, the online magazine "Sova" (Owl) reported on August 29.
"Many Georgian footballers, as well as Levan Kobiashvili, President of the Georgian Football Federation, have joined the action of solidarity with Guram Kashiya. On his Facebook page, Mr Kobiashvili wrote: 'Football belongs to everyone'," the "Sova" has noted.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 30, 2018 at 03:10 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
