Category: News

“Esperjenzi li għandna nkunu kburin bihom” – dan kien il-qofol ta’ konferenza li saret aktar kmieni dan ix-xahar f’Londra u li kienet ta’ suċċess enormi għall-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu.

Il-konferenza Proud Experiences saret permezz ta’ kollaborazzjoni mal-uffiċċju tal-MTA fl-Ingilterra u l-Irlanda, flimkien ma’ rappreżentanti tal-MTA fl-Amerka ta’ Fuq. Li Malta hija destinazzjoni ideali għat-turiżmu ftit tista’ tiddibattih. Però l-kunċett ta’ reklamar ta’ Malta bħala destinazzjoni ideali għall-persuni LGBTIQ huwa relattivament ġdid. Infatti din kienet l-ewwel darba li l-MTA ipparteċipat, bħala waħda mill-isponsors ewlenin, f’konferenza ta’ dan it-tip iffukata speċifikament fuq is-suq Ingliż. L-MTA diġà għandha esperjenza f’konferenzi bħalma huma l-konvenzjoni globali annwali l-ILGTA.

F’Londra, quddiem udjenza internazzjonali, kien rikonoxxut il-fatt li Malta żammet postha għat-tielet darba konsekuttiva fl-ewwel post fil-European Rainbow Index; sistema internazzjonali ta’ klassifikazzjoni. L-MTA wasslet il-messaġġ lill-aġenti tal-ivvjaġġar, ditti kbar u esperti mill-industrija li kienu preżenti.

Kurjuża fuq dan il-kunċett, din il-gazzetta tkellmet f’aktar dettall mal-MTA. Spjegaw li ġeneralment, vjaġġaturi LGBTIQ ikollhom aktar dħul disponibbli biex jonfqu meta jivvjaġġaw, peress li l-koppja tkun magħmula minn żewġ adulti li jaħdmu, ħafna drabi mingħajr tfal dipendenti fuqhom. Din tfisser li jkunu jistgħu jivvjaġġaw aktar spiss u normalment mhux fi staġuni peak.

Peress li pajjiżna riċentement avvanza bi kbir id-drittijiet għall-komunità LGBTIQ, u issa qegħdin fil-quċċata tal-European Rainbow index, għandna messaġġ importanti għall-vjaġġaturi LGBTIQ u nistgħu nippromwovu l-Gżejjer Maltin bħala destinazzjoni sigura.

Dawk li attendew, partikolarment wara li ntwera dokumentarju qasir fuq id-drittijiet għall-komunità LGBTIQ, infexxew f’applaws mill-qalb. Ir-rispons mill-barranin kien kliem ta’ tifħir dwar Malta. Ir-rappreżentanti tal-MTA esprimew sens ta’ kburija għaliex kien apprezzat il-fatt li qegħdin quddiem nett fir-rigward tad-drittijiet LGBTIQ. Wara li ntwera d-dokumentarju, ħafna nies avviċinaw ir-rappreżentanti tal-MTA u qalu li huma interessati jiġu Malta. Għaldaqstant, talbu informazzjoni biex ikunu jistgħu jagħmlu dan.

Fil-2012, Malta kienet lejn l-aħħar tal-European Rainbow Index, post biss fuq l-Ażerbajġan (li issa huma l-aħħar minn 49 pajjiż), u l-messaġġ għall-vjaġġaturi LGBTIQ ma kien tajjeb xejn. Sal-2016, Malta telgħet sal-quċċata tal-klassifika u permezz ta’ dan, beda jkun possibbli li Malta tattira nies mis-settur LGBTIQ. Il-Gvern ta’ Malta issa ħa passi li huma meqjusin bħala eżempju għad-dinja. Biex nagħtu kuntest, minn 53 pajjiż tal-Commonwealth, 36 minnhom għadhom jikkunsidraw l-omosesswalità bħala delitt, u għalhekk, Malta qed tkun rikonoxxuta bħala pajjiż progressiv. Malta llum hija meqjusa bħala pajjiż li tilqa’ lil kulħadd, irrispettivament mid-diversità tagħhom.

Malta hija destinazzjoni ġdida għal ħafna vjaġġaturi minn madwar id-dinja, li issa qed isiru jafu b’pajjiżna permezz tax-xogħol tal-MTA. L-Awtorità spjegat li vjaġġaturi LGBTIQ mhumiex differenti f’rigward x’jixtiequ minn btala, ħlief li jridu jkunu siguri u jkollhom il-libertà jivvjaġġaw ma’ min iridu. Vjaġġaturi LGBTIQ jiġu minn kull età, minn kull klassi soċjali u minn livelli ta’ edukazzjoni differenti. Uħud jiġu għall-bajjiet, oħrajn għal avvenimenti u saħansitra għat-temp xemxi, waqt li oħrajn jiġu għall-kultura, għall-ikel, għall-għadis, għall-istorja ta’ Malta u hemm ħafna li jiġu għal ftit minn kollox!

Hemm min jiġi wkoll biex jiżżewweġ. Dan huwa settur li jħalli ħafna flus fil-but tal-lokali, u dan japplika għaż-żwieġ bejn nies tal-istess sess jew sess differenti. Dan huwa l-każ partikolarment jekk il-koppja ġġib magħha l-familja u l-ħbieb biex jiċċelebraw il-jum speċjali tagħhom.

Dan huwa niċċa tat-turiżmu importanti li jgħin lill-ekonomija tal-pajjiż. It-turisti li jiġu Malta f’dawn iċ-ċirkostanzi jkunu kkunsidrati turisti ta’ kwalità.

Ħafna destinazzjonijiet turistiċi qed jaraw il-potenzjal li jattiraw nies mis-swieq LGBTIQ, però huma ftit li verament huma LGBTIQ friendly u minħabba f’hekk, ma jistgħux jikkonvinċu n-nies iżuru d-destinazzjoni tagħhom. Bħalissa, Malta qed tissupera destinazzjonijiet turistiċi oħrajn, u permezz ta’ dan, nistgħu nattiraw nies LGBTIQ minn madwar id-dinja. Waqt li t-tibdil fil-liġijiet jippreżenta lil Malta bħala pajjiż LGBTIQ friendly, in-nies Maltin stess iridu jkunu ospitabbli. Skont l-Ewrobarometru, fl-2006, 18% biss tal-Maltin kienu favur żwieġ bejn nies tal-istess sess, imma sal-2015, il-persentaġġ żdied sa 65%. Is-soċjetà Maltija nbidlet u għadha qed tinbidel. Il-bidliet fil-liġijiet segwew it-tibdil fis-soċjetà.

Importanti li nifhmu li meta nitkellmu fuq turiżmu speċifiku għas-settur LGBTIQ, ma nkunux qed noħolqu diskriminazzjoni. L-MTA tixtieq biss tavża lil parti mis-soċjetà, li aktar spiss milli le tbati minn diskriminazzjoni, li l-messaġġ hu li Malta huwa pajjiż sigur u jilqa’ lil kulħadd.

L-ikbar kompetituri ta’ Malta f’dan is-settur huma Gran Canaria, Mykonos u Tel Aviv. Xi bliet oħrajn li issa qed jippromwovu ruħhom bħala LGBTIQ friendly huma Valencia u Stokkolma. L-MTA wettqet ħafna riċerka dwar is-suq LGBTIQ, biex ir-reklamar li tuża jirrappreżenta lil Malta b’mod xieraq. Ħadmet ukoll biex ġabet lejn Malta ġurnalisti mir-rivisti LGBTIQ biex jesperjenzaw pajjiżna u jiktbu dwaru. L-MTA ħadmet bis-sħiħ biex tattira il-Gay Festival internazzjonali TropOut lejn Malta, li huwa avveniment irreklamat madwar l-Ewropa kollha. Barra minn hekk, Malta hija wkoll sponsor ta’ Brighton Pride 2018, li huwa rikonoxxut bħala l-ikbar Pride Festival fir-Renju Unit.

Fi kliem il-Kap tal-Marketing u Deputat CEO tal-MTA, Carlo Micallef, l-esperjenzi li qed toffri Malta huma fil-vera sens tal-kelma indimentikabbli, fil-mod li bih il-pajjiż jgħaqqad esperjenzi kulturali u ta’ divertiment, f’ambjent mill-isbaħ u f’kuntest ta’ libertà assoluta tal-espressjoni tal-individwu.

Source: one.com.mt

Government’s proposed controversial amendments to the Embryo Protection Act passed through Parliament this evening, with 34 votes in favour, and 27 against.

Three government ministers were abroad, as were three Opposition MPs.

The proposals, first announced earlier this year, will see the introduction of embryo freezing and adoption. The amendments had initially included altruistic surrogacy, however, Health Minister Chris Fearne recently announced that this will be presented at a later stage under a separate Bill. In addition, other changes were recently made. the anonymity previously proposed for gamete and ova donation was partially lifted when compared with earlier versions of the bill, meaning that children conceived as a result of medically assisted pregnancy will be allowed to find out who their biological parents are, once they reach 18. 

The leader of the opposition Adrian Delia said, prior to the vote, that he was allowing his party to vote freely over amendments proposed by government to the Embryo Protection Act. Speaking at a press conference in Parliament, Delia stressed that the law would be dictating death before birth.

He said when there are issues of ethics and morality he will give a free vote, and invited the Prime Minister to do the same in this situation.

“This is a law which creates inequality before birth” Delia said. He added that such amendments will affect children’s rights and will no longer protect them even after birth. “A law which is destroying the concept of family and destroying the structure of society so much so that tomorrow we will not recognise it”.

“This is a government which insists on creating a soulless state” the leader of the opposition said adding that the government has failed to listen or explain why they it is proposing it.

“We will continue to fight against this law and be opposed to this law” Delia concluded.

Health Minister Chris Fearne, in a press conference of his own, said that the law as is has problems, and stressed that passing this law will give more women the chance to give birth.

Turning to gamete donation, Fearne said this will provide the opportunity for even more families to have children. He said that the law also removes discrimination against single parents by choice, and LGBTIQ persons. He also mentioned giving rights to the children, allowing them to know the name of the donor by the age of 18.

Source: independent.com.mt

A policy regulating how transgender people should be treated in prison was introduced in August 2016, the government say

The government will not appeal a decision by the constitutional court that found in favour of seven transgender inmates, who claimed inhuman and degrading treatment in prison.

In a strongly-worded ruling, Judge Silvio Meli awarded the inmates €5,000 each in damages after they were placed in the male section of prison and were subjected to inhuman treatment.

In a statement, the government said it will not appeal the decision, adding that it had already implemented measures to change pre-existing systems that fostered injustices of the sort.

Government said the Corradino Correctional Facility has adopted a policy on procedures to be followed when trans, gender variant, or intersex inmates are admitted to the facility. The policy enables all inmates to be treated fairly and without discrimination, the government added.

It also noted that gender diversity training for prison warders was also undertaken.

“The government has also introduced a specific legal provision to ensure that inmates who are unable to change their legal documents in their home country are still able to be accommodated in prison according to their lived gender,” the statement said.

The government pledged to dedicate additional efforts and resources to ensure that the “human rights of all inmates are protected and laws are upheld with respect to dignity, equity, and social justice”.

Source: maltatoday.com.mt

Grupp ta’ priġunieri transgender, ħamsa Maltin u tnejn barranin, se jiġu kkumpensati €5,000 kull wieħed minħabba ksur tad-drittijiet tagħhom u diskriminazzjoni mid-diriġenti tal-Faċilità Korrettiva ta’ Kordin.

Is-seba’ priġunieri, li biddlu s-sess tagħhom minn raġel għal mara, sentejn ilu ressqu rikors il-Qorti li fih argumentaw li meta kienu l-ħabs kienu jitqiesu bħala irġiel flok nisa.

Huma talbu li ma jibqgħux fit-taqsima tal-irġiel, iżda oġġezzjonaw għall-fatt li kieku għażlu li jitrasferixxu ruħhom fit-taqsima tan-nisa ma setgħux ikomplu jistudjaw u jaħdmu għad-detriment li ma kienx se jkollhom flus biżżejjed biex iħallsu għat-terapija tal-ormoni.

Barra minn hekk, argumentaw ukoll li kien hemm xi priġunieri nisa u gwardjani nisa b’aġir ostili fil-konfront tagħhom, filwaqt li minkejja li kienu biddlu isimhom u l-fiżikament saru nisa, fil-ħabs baqgħu jiġu trattati daqs li kieku kienu rġiel.

Dan minbarra li qalu li kienu jiġu nsultati u mżebilħa mill-priġunieri u l-gwardjani, kif ukoll kienu suġġetti għall-fastidju u abbuż sesswali jew vjolenti kontinwu, filwaqt li ma kienux jitħallew jilbsu ħwejjeġ ta’ nisa u kellhom jinħaslu fl-istess post fejn jinħaslu l-irġiel.

Il-priġunieri transgender talbu lill-Qorti biex jitħarsu d-drittijiet tagħhom mid-diriġenti tal-ħabs, jingħataw kumpens tad-diskriminazzjoni li sofrew, u talli nkisru d-drittijiet tagħhom.

Fid-deċiżjoni tagħha l-Qorti, ippreseduta mill-Imħallef Silvio Meli, tat raġun lill-priġunieri, uħud aktar minn oħrajn, talli ngħataw trattament inuman, degradanti u diskriminatorju u ordnat lid-Direttur tal-Ħabs biex tkompli ssir ir-riforma meħtieġa f’dan ir-rigward.

Fid-dawl tar-riformi li bdew jitwettqu fil-ħabs, il-Qorti ddeċidiet li tordna l-ħlas ta’ kumpens lil kull priġunier intimat ta’ €4,000 għall-ksur tad-drittijiet fundamentali tal-priġunieri u €1,000 oħra għad-dannu li sar lid-dinjità tal-priġunieri minħabba l-indifferenza għad-diversità.

Il-Gvern qal li mhux ser jappella min din id-deċiżjoni tal-Qorti kostituzzjonali.  Fi stqarrija spjega li qabel din is-sentenza kif irrikonxxiet il-Qorti stess, fil-Faċilità Korrettiva ta’ Kordin ittieħdu passi u saret policy speċifika fuq kif għandhom ikunu trattati l-persuni transgender. Qal li dan qed isir fir-rispett sħiħ tal-liġi internazzjonali u Ewropea.

Source: tvm.com.mt

A Maltese judge has ruled that a group of transgender inmates were ‘knowingly and repeatedly’ placed by the prison authorities in Malta in situations where they were at high risk of sexual and psychological violence

A group of transgender inmates have been awarded €5,000 in damages each by the courts after their human rights were breached when they were placed with male prisoners.

The seven inmates, some of whom had transitioned from the male gender to female, all lived their lives as females and identified as such. They filed the court case, arguing that the prison authorities were insisting on treating them as males.

Some of the group were offered a choice to move to the female section of Corradino prison, but as this would entail them losing the opportunity to work and study, they declined. The inability to work would mean they could not afford hormone therapy.

The female inmates and warders were also hostile to them and so they decided to stay in the male section, even though some of them had to share a cell with a male inmate.

The situation led to ridicule, insults and vulgar sexual innuendos from both their fellow inmates and the prison warders. They were constrained to use the men’s showers and would therefore wait until all the other inmates had washed, with one of their number standing guard.

They had suffered degrading and discriminatory treatment on account of their gender, which had an adverse effect on their wellbeing Judge Silvio Meli 

This meant that they would often have to forgo washing altogether. They had no personal security and would be subjected to insults and “continuous sexual abuse and violence”.

The inmates argued that the situation breached their right to private life and constituted inhuman and degrading treatment. 

Instead of creating a dignified and secure environment, the prison authorities had “knowingly and repeatedly” placed them in situations where they were at high risk of sexual and psychological violence.

The defendants argued that they had made efforts to accommodate the prisoners’ needs by allocating different shower times. They had received no reports of abuse by the guards or other inmates, they claimed. 

They further rebutted the claims, by saying the minister was not the correct defendant and that the prisoners had not exhausted their ordinary remedies before resorting to court action.

The court noted that the prisoners had been admitted at a young age and had suffered greatly over the period of their detention. It upheld the defence’s first argument, saying that the correct defendant should have been only the prison director but not that the inmates had failed to exhaust their ordinary remedies. 

Making many references to European and local case law, Judge Silvio Meli said the treatment suffered by the plaintiffs fell within the parameters established by Strasbourg for a breach of their rights. 

It observed that the cell allocated to one in the female section of prison was filthy and used as a store room. The court added that the treatment suffered at the hands of the guards and inmates was “truly disgusting” and did not bear repeating. 

The inmates had been offered a Hobson’s choice in either losing their education and income opportunities or their safety, said the judge.

Although they were in prison to repay their debt to society this did not mean that they were unworthy of respect for their basic human dignity. It was plain to see that they had suffered degrading and discriminatory treatment on account of their gender, which had an adverse effect on their wellbeing, said the court.

The judge ordered the director of prisons to pay each of the seven inmates €4,000 for the breach of their rights, together with €1,000 each as damages to their personal dignity.

The victims were represented by lawyers Neil Falzon and Carla Camilleri from the human rights NGO Aditus Foundation, and Cedric Mifsud.

Source: maltatoday.com.mt

Government says it will not appeal decision

A group of seven transgender prisoners at Corradino have each been awarded €5,000 in compensation for inhuman, degrading treatment and discrimination after they were kept in the male section of the prisons despite living as women, because their ID-cards showed them to be men.

The seven had sued the Director of Prisons, saying that at the time they were imprisoned, their ID cards showed them to be men and they had male names, different from what they have today. Yet they lived as women, internally and in appearance and had a female physique.

Nonetheless, the director of prisons treated them as men as identified on their ID cards, with serious consequences on their lives. 

Subsequently, some of them in terms of the law changed their ID cards to show them to be women. Others were in the process of doing so. Nonetheless, the director had ignored this change and they continued to be detained in the men’s section of the prisons.

After the Gender Equality Act was approved in December 2015, five of them were given a choice of either staying in the men’s section or moving to the women’s section. But moving to the women’s section meant they had to give up their jobs and educational activities within the prison, something which they could not accept, not least because the loss of income meant they could no longer afford their hormone treatment. 

The prisoners said that the fact that they were constrained to stay in the male section, with the male prisoners, had serious consequences on them. They faced daily vulgar insults and sexual harassment and sometimes violence.

In order to avoid showering with the men they organised themselves to shower later, while one of them stood guard at the door. They often could not shower for days.

They were not allowed to wear female clothes, including underwear, not even when they needed to go to court and they were subjected to humiliating searches by male warders.

While female prisoners had access to a hairdresser, they did not.

The prisoners said prison rules laid down that they had to be treated with dignity and respect. Yet they were subject to ongoing fear of sexual and psychological violence, degrading and humiliating treatment. 

They asked the court to declare that they were being subjected to degrading and inhuman treatment, discrimination and violation of their private life on account of their gender. They also asked the court and to order remedial action and compensation.

In his reply, the director pointed out that some of the prisoners had admitted that they were offered the choice of moving to the women’s section of the prisons.

Furthermore, those still in the men’s section were now in single occupancy cells. No complaints had been received about the alleged insulting behaviour. They had also now been given the option of using the showers in the early afternoons when the men were in their cells.

The prisoners were also being allowed to wear what they liked. The searches were carried out by male warders because the prisoners opted to continue to stay in the men’s section.

The court in its findings said most of the prisoners who instituted this case had been at the prisons for many years and as a result of prison procedures they had suffered humiliation and degrading treatment.

Once the gender law was changed, they were offered to move to the women’s section but despite their treatment, they opted to stay in the men’s section, because the move would have caused them to lose their jobs and education opportunities.

The court said that it was only after the change of the law in 2015, and following the appointment of a new prisons director in 2016 that the situation for these prisoners started to improve, even though the two foreign ones could not change their ID cards.

Nonetheless, when some of the prisoners did opt to go to the women’s section they found a disastrous situation, with dirty cells having previously been used as storerooms and blood-stained mattresses. As a result, they even held a two-day hunger strike.

The prisoners had also suffered ‘truly disgusting’ treatment by other prisoners and warders including beatings and humiliation.

The court agreed that the choice to move to the women’s section was a Hobson’s Choice for most of the prisoners.

The court, presided by Mr Justice Silvio Meli, concluded that the prisoners had proven that they had suffered inhuman, degrading and discriminatory treatment in terms of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. 

It also noted that the current director of prisons had started to bring about change aimed at addressing the grievances. 

The court ordered the Director of Prisoners to continue on the reforms which had been embarked upon. The director was also ordered to pay each prisoner €4,000 as pecuniary compensation and €1,000 each for violation of their personal dignity. 

The inmates were represented by lawyers Neil Falzon and Carla Camilleri from aditus foundation, and Cedric Mifsud.  

In a statement in the evening, the government said it will not appeal the decision and had already implemented further measures to change the pre-existing system which catered for such injustices.

The court, it said, had acknowledged the efforts already made by the facility’s administration including the adoption of a dedicated policy and adequate gender diversity training for prison wardens.

Current policies clearly outlined the procedures to be followed by the correctional services in the event of a trans, gender variant, or intersex inmate and enabled all inmates to be treated fairly and without discrimination.

Through such policies the government facilitated compliance with international and European laws.

The government had also introduced a specific legal provision to ensure that inmates who were unable to change their legal documents in their home country would still able to be accommodated in prison according to their lived gender.

Additional efforts and resources in this regard would be made to ensure that the human rights of all inmates we re protected and laws upheld with respect to dignity, equity, and social justice.

Source: timesofmalta.com

Malta has retained its first placing in Europe’s gay rights league table for the third consecutive year, but is this change truly reflected in everyday life and attitudes?

Malta’s meteoric rise to the top of Europe’s ‘rainbow index’ is a stark reminder of the blitzkrieg of LGBTIQ-friendly laws Labour introduced since being elected to power in 2013.

Then Malta languished at the 18th spot in the International Lesbian Gay Association’s ranking. Five years on, same-sex couples can marry and adopt children, transgender people can freely change their gender identity, and same-sex couples are on the cusp of being granted access to IVF services.

And the change in social attitudes has been a marked one, even noted by the United States’ annual crime and safety report issued by the Department of State for American travellers’ safety: “much of society has quickly adopted the same progressive attitude, breaking from a long history of social conservatism.”

“It’s been an epochal change that would not have occurred without a previous change in social attitude… and the media had a huge role in this change,” says Colette Farrugia Bennett, a social worker and today coordinator of the Malta Gay Rights Movement.

But it’s been the legal changes that have themselves triggered further social changes by empowering LGBTIQ people. “The change has been in the offing for some time, but the change in laws ensured that this change continued… These laws gave us a great sense of empowerment.”

“The ‘coming out’ process was often framed as an act of courage and a leap in the dark, rather than the process of self-affirmation it has become now” 

As a social worker, Farrugia Bennett says these changes impacted on how parents react to their children coming out. “Difficulties persist but this experience is not any longer perceived in a completely negative way. While in the past acceptance was the exception to the norm, now there is a greater sense of acceptance.”

Silvan Agius, formerly ILGA-Europe’s policy director before taking up the post of director of Malta’s human rights and integration directorate, acknowledges this change in the “coming out” process.

“Only a few years ago, Maltese LGBTIQ people suffered from a lot of stigma and social exclusion. Indeed, the ‘coming out’ process was often framed as an act of courage and a leap in the dark, rather than the process of self-affirmation it has become now. While a number of LGBTIQ youth still suffer from anxiety and stress during this process today, their visibility in Maltese society is an indication of Malta’s new found openness on the matter, as well as community empowerment.”

Farrugia Bennett says that even professionals like teachers show greater interest in training opportunities on how to tackle diversity in classrooms.

“In the past issues related to the presence of LGBTIQ persons in these contexts were simply overlooked or ignored. Now people want to learn more. This is because LGBTIQ people are no longer rendered invisible. They are on the agenda and contributing to setting that agenda.”

One reason for this change is how political leadership set the example for greater social inclusion. “In my view, we can speak about the growing normalisation of LGBTIQ issues in the country, and that is thanks to the work of LGBTIQ civil society and political leadership on the part of government all the way to the Prime Minister’s office,” Agius says.

Despite the great leap forward, young people face harsh financial realities, and the chore of families’ and friends’ acceptance 

Statistical evidence confirms the way this change in political direction resulted in substantial change in social perceptions and attitudes. In October 2015, a Eurobarometer survey on discrimination mapped Malta’s metamorphosis in gay rights: in terms of trans persons’ acceptance, Malta was the fastest climber with an increase of 17% of the population who said they were ‘totally comfortable’ with trans persons, compared to 2012; while the percentage of the population saying it was ‘totally uncomfortable’ dropped by 20%.

“I attribute this to the awareness raised by the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act that was adopted six months prior: that parliamentary debate, the discussion that ensued, [and] an increased visibility of trans in the media and other public spaces,” said Agius, who had a leading role in drafting LGBTIQ laws in Malta.

‘People want to know more’

Another indicator of change has been the level attendance in Gay Pride celebrations. When the first Gay Pride marches were organised by MGRM in the early noughties, straight people from political parties and NGOs would outnumber openly gay people. This is no longer the case and LGBTIQ people are no longer invisible. Agius says the Pride celebrations grew from around 300 participants to over 2,500 in 2017.

Alex Caruana, a transgender person and longstanding social and political activist, confirms how legal changes not only made his own life easier, but brought about more supportive attitudes in society at large.

“As a child, I have always felt more comfortable in the company of boys and years later, during my teens, I found himself wearing men’s clothing,” Caruana said.

The Gender Identity bill approved in 2015 removed the need to undergo sex reassignment surgery before official documents – such as an ID card or passport – are changed to reflect the holder’s gender identity. “In the beginning, I found it very difficult to accept myself. I felt that it was a huge issue which at times was too much to bear.”

With the help of MGRM’s free Rainbow Support Service, Caruana found the courage he needed to accept his situation and work on it. The next biggest challenge was to tell his family – who were surprisingly all very supportive, especially his niece and nephew. “Gradually, I started opening up to more people and I always found very supportive attitudes,” Caruana said.

“People are now more likely to ask questions about my transition because they want to know more, they want to understand.”

Still, job interviews and opening up to new colleagues remains a challenge for Alex Caruana. “At the back of my mind I still have insecurities based on the fact that the interviewer might recognise me and deny me the job… in Malta everyone knows everyone and it is not easy to hide one’s past.”

Indeed, some problems persist despite the great leaps of the past few years. Malta might have stopped treating trans identities as medically abnormal, but Caruana says it is still the practice of endocrinologists to ask for psychiatric reports before prescribing Hormone Replacement Therapy to patients.

“I hope that this won’t be the procedure at the Gender Clinic as this goes against Maltese laws and against the principle of self-determination. Changing the attitude of professionals working with trans people is an important issue,” Caruana said.

Plans are currently underway to introduce free gender reassignment treatment and to set up a gender clinic to offer a focal point to transgender, intersex and queer persons. Despite the great leap forward, Caruana still meets a lot of young people facing harsh realities, both financially – given that, up to now, all services are against payment – and socially, as one must face problems involving families’ and friends’ acceptance.

“For me, education is the key to ensure that these legal changes are safeguarded in the future… regardless of whoever is in government.”

Source: maltatoday.com.mt