News • October 27 2003

Minister’s personal intervention closes door on transsexuals

Kurt Sansone
It was Minister Tonio Borg’s personal intervention that prevented the right of marriage for transsexuals from being inserted in the new amendments to the civil code.
The proposed amendments cover a number of aspects including an update of inheritance rights. One of the amendments also allows transsexuals to have their sex change to be registered in the birth certificate, even if the notification still has to be obtained by a court decree.
When announcing the proposed changes this week, Dr Borg made it a point to emphasise that the amendment concerning transsexuals did not imply that they could get married.
However, speaking on Radio Malta 2 yesterday, during the programme hosted by Fr Joe Borg and Dr George Abela, the minister said that in the first draft of the amendments the right to marriage had been proposed. "I am not revealing any secrets here, but I personally asked for the reference to marriage to be removed," Dr Borg said.
During the brief intervention Dr Borg also expressed his opposition to marriage and adoption rights for gay couples.
And if the gay community hoped for some progressive fare from the Labour Party that door is closed as well. During the radio programme Labour MP Marie Louise Coleiro said that she did not agree with same-sex marriages.
kurt@maltamag.com