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A Day After Georgia Passes Anti-LGBTQ+ Law, Man Allegedly Takes Life Of Transgender Ex-Girlfriend
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A Day After Georgia Passes Anti-LGBTQ+ Law, Man Allegedly Takes Life Of Transgender Ex-Girlfriend

A Day After Georgia Passes Anti-LGBTQ+ Law, Man Allegedly Takes Life Of Transgender Ex-GirlfriendMan Allegedly Takes Life Of Transgender Ex-Girlfriend A Day After Georgia Passes Anti-LGBTQ+ LawMan Allegedly Takes Trans Girlfriend’s Life To Keep Relationship Secret Amid New Anti-LGBTQ+ LawMan Takes Trans Girlfriend’s Life To Allegedly Keep Relationship Secret Amid New Anti-LGBTQ+ LawEx Allegedly Fatally Stabbed Trans Girlfriend Day After Anti-LGBTQ Law Was Passed in GeorgiaGeorgian Trans Model Loses Life At Age 37 To Alleged Stabbing Attack From Closeted Ex-BoyfriendTrans Media Star Loses Life To Alleged Stabbing Attack From An Ex, A Day After Anti-LGBTQ+ Law
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Kesaria Abramidze, a prominent Georgian transgender model, was found murdered in her Tbilisi apartment, just one day after Georgian lawmakers passed a law widely seen as anti-LGBTQ+. A 26-year-old man believed to be Abramidze’s boyfriend has been arrested on suspicion of her murder.

Trigger warning: transphobia, hate crime, murder –  Georgia’s interior ministry said that Abramidze was believed to have been stabbed to death in her apartment in suburban Tbilisi on September 18, The Guardian reported on September 19.

Highlights
  • Abramidze, a known transgender model, found murdered post anti-LGBTQ+ law.
  • Her boyfriend, Jaiani, was arrested for stabbing Abramidze 28 times.
  • Abramidze's death follows Georgia's controversial anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
  • Georgia's President condemned the murder, calling it an act of hatred.

Abramidze’s former partner, 26-year-old Beka Jaiani, was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder, OC Media reported on September 23.

Prior to his arrest, Jaiani was shown on CCTV footage, which had filmed him fleeing Abramidze’s building 15 minutes after his arrival, Politico reported on September 19.

Kesaria Abramidze, a prominent Georgian transgender model, was found murdered in her Tbilisi apartment

Image credits: Sheldon Kennedy/Unsplash

Jaiani reportedly stabbed Abramidze 28 times with a knife in her flat. He was apprehended a day later and went on to deny the charges through his lawyer. 

The local prosecutor’s office has stated that Jaiani had admitted to being allowed into Abramidze’s apartment on 18 September, the day of the murder, after agreeing to her posting photos of the two on social media, as per OC Media.

Communications shared by Abramidze’s friend reportedly suggested that Jaiani was opposed to making their relationship public, but that he also refused to accept that they broke up.

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Image credits: kesaria_official

Jaiani was consequently charged with premeditated murder with particular cruelty “based on gender.” If convicted, he could face up to 16 years or life imprisonment, according to OC Media.

“Like most murders of trans women around the world, she knew her murderer, he was her boyfriend, Beka Jaiani,” the international pageant for transgender women Miss Trans Global wrote on its official Facebook page on September 20.

In April, Abramidze reportedly shared her personal experience of domestic violence at the hands of Jaiani, according to the pageant organization.

She was murdered just one day after Georgian lawmakers passed a law widely seen as anti-LGBTQ+

Image credits: kesaria_official

At the time, Abramidze had revealed that she had left her country to escape the abusive relationship and that she was physically and psychologically harmed by him.

In a previous post on social media, the late model wrote: “I would also like to thank my next-door neighbor who saved me when he attacked me at home, otherwise I might not be alive today. 

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“About a month ago, he gave me a concussion himself and took me to Ghudushauri, which is documented in this clinic.”

Image credits: kesaria_official/Formula News

“I’m writing this post to be an example for other women and so that you don’t waste years with a manipulative, narcissistic abuser!” 

Approximately 22.5% of trans women, 22.4% of non-binary women, and 19.2% of trans men reported sexual abuse in 2023, The Hotline recently reported, which is higher than the average of 14.2% of LGBTQ+ survivors.

Moreover, a 2020 study found that transgender individuals face significantly higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than cisgender individuals.

A 26-year-old man believed to be Abramidze’s boyfriend has been arrested on suspicion of her murder

Image credits: InterpressNews.ge

One in six transgender people experienced physical IPV and one in 10 experienced sexual IPV in 2019. 

Transgender people are over twice as likely to suffer physical or sexual IPV, which is linked to poorer mental and sexual health, and increased substance abuse. 

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Abramidze, who lost her life at the age of 37, was one of Georgia’s first openly trans public figures

Image credits: temidainsta

Her death follows controversial legislation on “family values and the protection of minors” that will allow officials to outlaw Pride events and censor films and books in Georgia, The Guardian reported.

The law, which was approved by the Georgian parliament on September 17, just a day before Abramidze’s murder, in its third and final reading, includes bans on same-sex marriages and gender-affirming treatments. 

It is reportedly expected to be another point of contention between Georgia and the European Union as the country seeks to join the bloc.

Abramidze’s former partner, 26-year-old Beka Jaiani, was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder

Critics have reportedly argued that the bill, initially introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party in the summer, mirrors laws enacted in neighboring Russia, where authorities have implemented a series of repressive anti-LGBTQ+ measures over the past decade.

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Under the Georgian Dream party, which has taken an increasingly anti-liberal stance, the country has seen a rise in violence against LGBTQ+ people, according to The Guardian.

The Georgian Dream party is the ruling political party in Georgia, founded in 2012 by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

Image credits: kesaria_official

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Since coming to power, the Georgian Dream party has held significant influence over the government, including a parliamentary majority, which allows it to pass laws and shape policy. 

Following Abramidze, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili attended the funeral of the popular trans media personality.

“Horrifying murder! Rejection of humanity! This should be a sobering call … Hatred drenched in hatred, which weakens and divides us and gives a hand to an enemy to manipulate us,” Zourabichvili wrote on her personal Facebook page.

Her death follows Georgia’s controversial legislation on “family values and the protection of minors”

 

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A post shared by TEMIDA (@temidainsta)

She added: “I hope the death of this beautiful young woman will make us more humane, more Christian. I hope this tragedy will not be in vain.”

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Abramidze was laid to rest at a ceremony in Tbilisi on September 23, OC Media reported. The Georgian Orthodox Church refused to provide burial services for Abramidze due to her transgender identity.

Abramidze was a widely recognized and outspoken figure who was perhaps the most prominent personality from Georgia’s queer community, as per OC Media

She came to prominence in the Georgian media over a decade ago.

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Andréa Oldereide

Andréa Oldereide

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

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Andréa Oldereide

Andréa Oldereide

Writer, BoredPanda staff

I’m a journalist who works as Bored Panda’s News Team's Senior Writer. The news team produces stories focused on pop culture. Whenever I get the opportunity and the time, I investigate and produce my own exclusive stories, where I get to explore a wider range of topics. Some examples include: “Doberman Tobias the viral medical service dog” and “The lawyer who brought rare uterine cancer that affects 9/11 victims to light”. You've got a tip? email me: andrea.o@boredpanda.com

Karina Babenok

Karina Babenok

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As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

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Karina Babenok

Karina Babenok

Author, BoredPanda staff

As a visual editor in the News team, I look for the most interesting pictures and comments to make each post interesting and informative through images, so that you aren't reading only blocks of text. I joined Bored Panda not that long ago, but in this short amount of time I have covered a wide range of topics: from true crime to Taylor Swift memes (my search history is very questionable because of that).In my freetime, I enjoy spending time at the gym, gaming, binging Great British Bake Off and adding yet another tattoo artist that I would love to get a tattoo from to my pinterest board.

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Libstak
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think the policies had anything to do with this to be honest. If I understand correctly she was already in fear of him and had survived a previous attack from him. This was an abusive relationship and while he was a hypocrite and was in rage at the possibility of being outted, that seems like a personal him problem that existed in his psyche for a long time regardless of anything else going on regarding new laws etc.

Ben Aziza
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yhe you don't start a relationship with a trans person and suddenly decide to kill them because of some law...

Load More Replies...
CanadianDimes
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He didn't "take her life"; he *murdered* her. This was extreme violence done by someone she was already afraid of. Downplaying it by trying to soften the language is offensive.

Aline
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While laws and policies do affect public opinion, this sounds like a case of domestic violence. While men do face DV, it is the rkading cause of injury to women in the US, and is almost certainly underreported. I could not find stats from the country if Georgia, but I'm sure they would also be sobering. What laws like the Georgian Dream party's do is ensure trans women and people in non-hetero relationships have less protection under the law. There's less of a chance they can stop violence from escalating from injury to murder.

Load More Comments
Libstak
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think the policies had anything to do with this to be honest. If I understand correctly she was already in fear of him and had survived a previous attack from him. This was an abusive relationship and while he was a hypocrite and was in rage at the possibility of being outted, that seems like a personal him problem that existed in his psyche for a long time regardless of anything else going on regarding new laws etc.

Ben Aziza
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yhe you don't start a relationship with a trans person and suddenly decide to kill them because of some law...

Load More Replies...
CanadianDimes
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He didn't "take her life"; he *murdered* her. This was extreme violence done by someone she was already afraid of. Downplaying it by trying to soften the language is offensive.

Aline
Community Member
3 weeks ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

While laws and policies do affect public opinion, this sounds like a case of domestic violence. While men do face DV, it is the rkading cause of injury to women in the US, and is almost certainly underreported. I could not find stats from the country if Georgia, but I'm sure they would also be sobering. What laws like the Georgian Dream party's do is ensure trans women and people in non-hetero relationships have less protection under the law. There's less of a chance they can stop violence from escalating from injury to murder.

Load More Comments
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