‘Don’t touch our rights’, gay lobby tells Busuttil over civil unions’ amendments

Gay lobby’s stark warning to PN in rowdy meeting over civil unions’ bill

Simon Busuttil has been warned by gay rights’ groups that attempts to dilute the civil unions’ bill to pacify PN voters will further endanger the party’s frayed relationship with the gay vote
Simon Busuttil has been warned by gay rights’ groups that attempts to dilute the civil unions’ bill to pacify PN voters will further endanger the party’s frayed relationship with the gay vote

A rowdy meeting between Opposition leader Simon Busuttil and the gay lobby turned sour this week, when the PN informed them they would be pushing amendments to the civil unions' bill without divulging what the amendments will be.

Busuttil met Malta Gay Rights Movement coordinator Gabi Calleja and human rights lawyer Neil Falzon, of Aditus Foundation, who authored the civil unions' bill; together with PN equality spokesperson Claudette Buttigieg and MEP candidate Therese Commodini Cachia.

A PN source described the outcome of the meeting as "nothing short of disastrous".

"The party wants to amend the law but didn't want to explain exactly what these changes will be. They had to fend off accusations that they are going to dilute the bill, and the meeting ended on a sour note. There was a good deal of shouting," the party source said.

Contacted yesterday, Gabi Calleja confirmed the meeting they had at the PN offices but refrained from commenting on MaltaToday's account of the disagreements between the two sides. "They did not present any tangible amendments... there was nothing concrete and it is still unclear what kind of amendments they will present." she said.

MaltaToday was told by other sources that Busuttil and Buttigieg were at pains to explain that the PN had to show their own conservative electorate they were treading carefully on the civil unions' bill.

"It was a bad meeting. The gay lobby was actually warning them not to touch anything that would dilute the rights in the law, and told them off for having already lost the gay vote entirely.

"At one point, the MPs were trying to explain that they had a conservative electorate to respect. They were told in no uncertain terms that any amendments that touched the rights in the law would be met by a public statement against the Opposition," the party source told MaltaToday.

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Yes all of you are exactly right in condemning the RIGHT side of politics. But of course it is the United States that is attacking same-sex marriage proponents and not Russia. But of course all of the Leftists in Malta are geniuses. In Europe might I add Sweden under a Right-leaning Govt. gave same-sex couples the opportunity to wed. If you guys don't like the PN fair enough, its your own opinion, but don't spew hate just because you don't agree with them. You will then become as discriminatory as they are for hating people for being of a certain political creed.
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I wasn't aware that gay activists were also rude and arrogant to say the least!! Since when do they think that the Maltese electorate is four square behind them? Who gave them this preposterous idea???
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Darba f'Xarabanh deherli li smajt lil din Gaby tghid li hu normali li tkun gay!u dritt ikkoregija Joe Azzoppardi.Meta wiehed jibda jiltaqa' ma nies bhal dawn irid ikun lest biex jitlef il-principji sodi ta' valuri,u ikollu joqghod ghal dak li jghid il-vot sa kemm fl-ahhar, wara li ma tkunx tista' taqdi lil kulhadd, kulhadd idur kontrik.Jien nemmen li min se jidhol biex jghaddi xi ligi biex dak li ma hux normali isir normali, u /jew zewgt irgiel jistghu irabbu tfal se jkollu jiffaccja telfien kbir,u ahjar jieqaf kull kuntatt ma dawn in-nies li mis-seba jiehdu l-id.
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No fear Joey is here. As long as Joey is in charge and leading by nine votes in Parliament, the Gay rights group do not have to worry about any new laws being amended. Simon and company do not have a leg to stand on and what the Gays want the gays will get. This is not a one man seat anymore and again, what Joey wants, Joey gets. The Passport for Sale Scheme is proof enough. The PN and the whole country have four more years of this to live with. Otherwise why do you think Mr Joe and Schmoe are behaving like bullies?
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The PN shows that once again they are simply a lost cause when it comes to civil liberties. At one point I had hoped that the likes of DeMarco would carry the day and would lead the PN to some reason. As it stands it is simply another delaying tactic on their part! ... There has been more than enough time wasted, and it is now time for action. The PN cannot say they were surprised when they themselves had it in their programme for 16 years (but never enough time to legislate!). Enough is enough. PL promised Civil Unions and these should be introduced immediately, with or without the PN. ... No gay should ever forget this continued behaviour of the PN when the next election comes!
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The PN shows that once again they are simply a lost cause when it comes to civil liberties. At one point I had hoped that the likes of DeMarco would carry the day and would lead the PN to some reason. As it stands it is simply another delaying tactic on their part! ... There has been more than enough time wasted, and it is now time for action. The PN cannot say they were surprised when they themselves had it in their programme for 16 years (but never enough time to legislate!). Enough is enough. PL promised Civil Unions and these should be introduced immediately, with or without the PN. ... No gay should ever forget this continued behaviour of the PN when the next election comes!
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Yet another Simon-PN mess. They have yet to realise that Malta has changed. They brag about liberal Europe and are ultra conservatives (bordering on fascism) at the core.
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Remember Simon, Religio et Patria!
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@gpp: you've got it right. The Right-Wing Conservatives everywhere in Europe (and beyond!)have been the reason gay militancy is necessary. It is only the Left which has ANY sense of decency or respect for minorities, including gays. Strange that the Conservatives would be such pig-headed bigots, considering that they are generally the ones who are more "religious", except that their beloved Jesus would almost certainly vote on the Left... I wonder how they reconcile that fact with their homophobic rants? As for a
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Abdullah alhrbi
Busuttil met Malta Gay Rights Movement coordinator Gabi Calleja and human rights lawyer Neil Falzon, of Aditus Foundation, who authored the civil unions' bill. Really are you implying that Neil Falzon was the only person who worked on that bill.?????????? How unfair, preposterous and ill informed. I think what you really should be reporting is that he was the only one WHO GOT PAID FOR IT!! It must have been a very happy moment for Neil to see how far dear Simon, Claudette and Theresa are committed to the European Agenda and civil liberties. Lets hope poor Neil wasnt that disappointed , good thing the gay crowd voted with their brains and not on Neil Falzon's advice. Neil Falzon's inability to grasp the fact that the it is the LEFT in Europe that legislates for gay rights is stupefying. I have come to the conclusion that History is not Neil's forte.