Last week, Kesaria Abramidze was brutally murdered by her own hands in her apartment. She was stabbed repeatedly and left to die. I thought that if a woman like her, who was radiant and glamorous and created social media content and appeared on TV shows, could be murdered in such a horrific way, what hope would other LGBTQ people in this country have if they were also killed in a similar manner? Georgia’s democratic system is in decline, especially after the recent passage of controversial laws such as the law on foreign agents and the anti-LGBTQ measure.
The police acted quickly last Tuesday after rumors spread that the suspect was her 26-year-old long-term boyfriend, who allegedly murdered her “after a personal dispute” before fleeing. As a reporter who was tired of seeing phobias rampant in this small country, I found it all the more coincidental that this murder occurred shortly after these laws were passed, and that the suspect fled so cowardly. The police opened an investigation for premeditated killing with aggravating circumstances due to gender hatred. Kesaria’s violent boyfriend, who has been with her on and off, was arrested as he tried to leave Georgia. I still find it hard to understand why someone who had publicly threatened her would commit a crime so public, be caught on CCTV and then flee without trying to cover up his tracks. He was quickly arrested.
Context is key. Georgian lawmakers supported a bill aimed at LGBTQ rights in the midst of a crackdown against civil society. This bill was condemned by the US and EU. Georgian Dream proposed measures such as banning “LGBT propagandists” and outlawing marriages between same-sex couples and adoptions. In a recent Tbilisi vote, the majority of legislators supported the bill while the opposition boycotted it.
Kesaria Abramidze, one of the most prominent figures in the country who was admired for their charm, wit and outspokenness, has passed away. Her loss leaves a significant void. In the internet age, videos of her reminiscing about her struggles and joys are widely circulated. In a video made months before she died, she revealed that violence and manipulation were a part of her past, which led her to leave the nation for a while. She once said that, while representing Georgia in a beauty contest, she didn’t wish to mention the abuse and problems experienced by transgender people and gays in Georgia because she wanted to protect her country. However, the country did nothing to protect her.
Under the so-called Protection of Family Values and Minors Legal Package, schools and universities will not be allowed to teach about same-sex relationships, and public demonstrations advocating LGBTQ rights will be banned. Similar laws were passed in Russia.
Kesaria was a popular actress, but I knew very little about her, despite the fact that her hometown, Vani is where my ancestors come from. This historic town is steeped, like most of Georgia, in patriarchy and religious sentiment.
Many people feel pity for her, not because of her tragic death, but because she chose to transition. Some say that she was a real woman who wanted the same things as everyone else: love and family, perhaps even children.
Cathy Jeanne Maclain is a professional therapist who told me that the atmosphere of homophobia was terrible in Georgia. The government is supporting it, making people think that it is acceptable and even good to get rid ‘those people’.
I attended Kesaria’s wake with my spouse to show that LGBTQ individuals also desire long-term relationships and love. Her family and friends shared that she wanted to start a family, but her dream was now crushed.
Kesaria was lucky that her family accepted her as she is. In good times and bad, her mother, her sister, and her friends stood by her. Six other transgender people who were murdered in Georgia over the years did not have such a lucky outcome. I cried with her mother at Kesaria’s wake, as images of her looking like a winged Goddess were all around us. Her life ended with a tragic domestic conflict involving the man she loved. Her death was rooted firmly in transphobia and feminist violence.
Kesaria seems to be the end of everything. I doubt that anyone in this country will dare take a stand, especially given the current laws. Kesaria was not the only victim; our freedom also died with her. This brutal case sends a chilling message: anyone can be victimized, famous or not.
Blog by Helena Bedwell
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