GRADATION is a collaborative installation of Women's Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) and artist Uta Bekaia, dedicated to the Trans Day of Remembrance. The voices and the images used in the installation belong to Transfeminist activists and sisters - Amanda, Gabi, Nata, Tako. Each of us are united by the grief that will forever remind us about our Trans sisters killed in the recent years, but we are also united by the same goal - to achieve living in a country and in the society free from Transphobia!

This is a joint statement of Human Rights Organizations concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied territories of Georgia and the quest for immediate and active measures to turn this damaging situation into a positive track. More specifically, we are referring to the pending regrettable developments in the occupied region of South Ossetia/Tskhinvali Region.

"Women's Initiatives Supporting Group" WISG responds to the events that took place during the premiere of the movie "And Then We Danced" on November 8 and appeals to law enforcement organs, the state and the media for adequate response. We believe that the mobilization of hate groups with regards to the movie premiere, above all, represents the manifestation of homo/bi/transphobia existing in the society, an appropriate response to which is crucial from the side of the government.

Negative and stereotypical disposition with regard to bisexual persons is not solely explained by the general anti-LGBTI stance, in fact ithas specific reasons both in the society at large and within the LGBTI community itself. In 2016, the most extensive study by WISG "From Prejudice to Equality" allowed for clear display of particular dispositions that exist toward bisexuality. It studied attitudes towards gay, lesbian and transgender persons, as well as toward bisexual persons separately.

According to the results of the new NDI survey that studied public opinion with regards to crucial issues in the month of July 2019, 27% of the society responds that protecting the rights of sexual minorities (LGBTI persons) is important. Similar result was last noted in the data of August 2014, when again 27% of the population considered it significant to protect the rights of LGBTI persons.

The statement expresses WISG’s official position in connection with the planned “march of dignity”/Pride. The statement does not call on citizens to take part in the announced march, nor does it encourage them to distance themselves from it. Moreover, as a community organization, WISG bears the responsibility and the obligation to voice the dissenting opinion of those community members who oppose the idea of holding a Pride march.

If Facebook fails to ensure system improvement on its own platform for spreading information and control of reporting, the existing system will now once again support well-funded and mobilized extremist groups, against the interests of which human rights defenders and LGBTQI activists, fight an incomparably unequal battle.

We refuse to allow the government and police to laud themselves in front of the international community for their efforts in protecting queer people’s freedom of expression on May 17, 2019, while throughout the year, these agencies remain inept at improving the queer community’s livelihoods, eliminating deep-rooted homophobic societal attitudes, and ensuring timely and adequate response to and effective investigation of homo/transphobic hate crime.

A cyber-attack has been carried out against the Facebook page of the “Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group” (WISG), allegedly by extremist homophobic groups. As a result, Facebook has removed several of WISG’s videos and at the time of the writing of this article, it is impossible to share any content from the organization’s website on social media. We believe that the well-mobilized extremist attacks commenced after news about the “Queer Sisters Run” held on May 12th spread via several online media platforms.

Women's Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) presents a short animated film and a new project of WISG, which tells the forgotten and hidden (her)stories of inspiring women from Georgian history.