Protesters crash a Pride event in Tbilisi, an England town is set to host its first Pride festival, and an LGBTQ school policy changes causes political turmoil in Canada.

Anti-LGBTQ Protesters Crash Georgia Pride Event

Over 2,000 anti-LGBTQ protesters crashed a Pride festival in Tbilisi. During the counter demonstration, rainbow flags and placards were destroyed. 

According to The Guardian, organizers are accusing authorities of actively colluding with the protesters to disrupt the event.

Mariam Kvaratskhelia, the co-director of Tbilisi Pride, told newspaper that far-right groups had publicly incited violence against LGBTQ activists in the days leading up to the Pride events and that the police and interior ministry had declined to investigate.

“I definitely think this [disruption] was a preplanned, coordinated action between the government and the radical groups,” Kvaratskhelia said. “We think this operation was planned in order to sabotage the EU candidacy of Georgia.

England Town Set to Host First Pride Festival

Photo by Nathana Reboucasvia via Unsplash.com.

The town of Shrewsbury in England is set to host their first Pride festival.

The event has become a major celebration after receiving support from local organizations.

"What has been wonderful is how supportive everyone has been for it,” organizer Philip Davies told the BBC. "We've had smaller appearances, but to actually see the town embracing what is going to be a full celebration is really encouraging."

Organizers said that the festival is a major step forward for the town. 

"I've always wanted something to happen there because as a kid I never saw much Pride," said Harry, a local resident who grew up in the area. "It shows that times are changing for Shrewsbury, a place with more traditional values.”

LGBTQ School Policy Change Causes Political Turmoil

Photo by Andre Forget - Andrew Scheer, via Wikimedia Commons.

A policy change in New Brunswick, Canada, which bars teachers from using a student's preferred pronouns without parental permission, will soon go into effect.

According to the BBC, this policy was announced in May along with amendments that removed explicit mention of allowing students to participate in extracurricular activities, including sports teams, that reflect their gender identity.

Premier Blaine Higgs and his government updated the policy without a legislative vote. Their reason was based on "hundreds of complaints from parents and teachers.”

Now, the Canadian government is under fire for not providing evidence of those complaints and two New Brunswick ministers quit in protest, while two others were pushed out by Higgs for not supporting his plan. 

"The prime minister has no business in decisions that should rest with provinces and parents," said federal Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre.

The BBC reported that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke at a Pride event in June saying that "trans kids in New Brunswick are being told they don't have the right to be their true self, that they need to ask permission".

The change is expected to go into effect this month.