A small scuffle occurred Thursday between on-lookers and people participating in International Day Against Homophobia in downtown Tbilisi.

The event was the first ever such campaign by homosexuals in the South Caucasus country.

Police had to rush to the scene to separate some on-lookers and detained three people participating in the event. The detainees were later released, police said.

Participants had planned to march through Tbilisi's central Rustaveli Avenue but members of the Saint King Vakhtang Gorgasali Union and the Orthodox Parents Union blocked the avenue.

Some 50 participants in the event were seen holding posters and flags sporting rainbow colors. They had such slogans on posters as "I Am Gay"; "Gay Is My Friend"; and "Homosexualism Is Not A Disease."

Members of religious groups tried to persuade the participants that the rally was harmful to others.

"This is propaganda of a wrong way of life," protested one Orthodox priest.

Giorgi Tugushi, the Georgian public defender, disagreed.

Tugushi released a statement saying that "in spite of the progress achieved in terms of human rights, homophobia remains as one of the most important problems around the world and unfortunately Georgia is no exception."

"Expression of a negative attitude of the society toward lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans-gender and inter-sex people are frequent," Tugushi said. "Homophobic expressions or other kinds of actions often insult the concrete group of persons and contribute to the formation of stereotypes in the society.

"Each of us should always keep in mind that it is necessary to respect and accept forms of self-expression and expressions of a person's individuality," the public defender said.