A/HRC/41/45/Add.1 choice of revealing their true self and being subjected to certain violence and discrimination or concealing that essential aspect of their identity and living in a parallel world. For them, the fate is the invisibility of their needs and their realities, non-existence in official data and constant fear of exposure. Testimonies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons have evoked the notion of freedom, a value highly cherished by all Georgians. “I am shackled, I cannot live free in this society. I have to lie to myself and to others all the time”, one gay man told the Independent Expert. A. At the root of violence and discrimination 31. Virtually all the conversations he had during the visit led the Independent Expert to conclude that violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are pervasive in Georgia: beatings are commonplace, harassment and bullying constant, and exclusion from education, work and health settings appear be the norm. Although lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans and gender diverse persons are among the most vulnerable individuals in society, a recent Council of Europe survey revealed that only 33 per cent of people in Georgia think that it is important to protect their rights. 14 32. Stigma associated with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans and gender diverse persons, which is at the root of violence and discrimination against them, stems from various factors, including beliefs in the need to maintain traditional family units and “traditional values”; the view that diverse sexual orientation and gender identity is abnormal; and rigid expectations about how women and men should look and behave. 33. According to some studies, respect for gay and lesbian persons is rising among nearly all sociodemographic and socioeconomic groups, with the younger generation being the most tolerant.15 For example, it is encouraging that the number of persons who declare that they do not want to have homosexuals as neighbours has gone down significantly from an astounding 80 per cent reported in 2010. However, the figure reported in 2018, 50 per cent, is a sobering reminder that members of the community face negative views from a large proportion of society and are at great risk of internalizing social prejudice. 16 B. Violence 34. A 2018 study suggests that attitudes towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse community are worse than towards any other group, and that members of the community are the most at risk of being subjected to hate crime and hate speech. 17 The more “different” from the socially accepted norms lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse persons are, the more at risk of violence they are. 18 In this context, feminine gay men, trans persons and masculine lesbians are believed to be the most vulnerable to violence. 1. Domestic violence 35. Domestic violence is a key element in the downward spiral of social exclusion and marginalization affecting the community: a submission made to the Independent Expert before his visit by several human rights groups indicated that, in a 2018 survey, 84 per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans and gender diverse persons reported having experienced 14 15 16 17 18 Council of Europe, Hate Crime, Hate Speech, and Discrimination in Georgia: Attitudes and Awareness (Strasbourg, Council of Europe, 2018), p. 24. See World Bank, Gender Based Violence in Georgia: Links Among Conflict, Economic Opportunities and Services (Washington, D.C., 2017). See European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Life in Transition Survey, 2016, and Council of Europe, Hate Crime, Hate Speech, and Discrimination in Georgia. See Council of Europe, Hate Crime, Hate Speech, and Discrimination in Georgia. See World Bank, Gender Based Violence in Georgia. 7