Davit Usupashvili: Lelo doesn't support same-sex marriage

One of the leaders of Lelo, Davit Usupashvili states that his party doesn't support same-sex marriage. Usupashvili adds that some might think that this is old-fashioned, but they have to deal with it without any "phobia" label.

Usupashvili also touched upon other issues that will be discussed in detail in Lelo's program for the parliamentary elections.

"We look at granting of the forests to the Church in three prisms: 1. Forest. The forests in the hands of the state are being destroyed before our eyes. We think that the best possible proprietors of the forests are the surrounding inhabitants that enjoy the primacy right over using the forest resources by the state and self-government regulations - and they should do so. First of all, we support granting the corresponding forest massives to municipalities as rural property. We hence think that in the same way the monasteries and churches can be granted the forests that surround their historical sites. 2. Elections and the Church. Raising the "Church forests" issues 6 months before the elections, during the national emergency, is an attempt by the ruling power to involve the Church circles in the election battles. They used the common method and started the very discussions about the forest area, conditions and terms in the pre-election period. We think that this approach only serves to narrow party interests and not the ones of the forests, church, or state. 3. Church's property. The Church as a subject of civic relations is under the jurisdiction of state's secular material, financial and tax legislation, including in terms of the purpose of state's grant of property or financial support. It might seem that it is under the Church's best interest that there be the exemplary transparency, but it isn't the case for today - neither out of the Church's goodwill nor the state's execution of its sovereignty.

As for minorities: 1. Protection. We unconditionally condemn every act of persecution, oppression, or discrimination out of someone's different orientation. The state should ensure effective and consistent policy not only for executing the corresponding offenders but for creating the atmosphere of impermissibility of such acts. 2. Marriage. Lelo doesn't support same-sex marriage, as the rest of the democratic world didn't support it two decades ago neither. Some might deem us old-fashioned, we'll deal with it but they should do the same without any "phobia" labels", - posted Usupashvili on his Facebook page.