LGBTI issues should be central to equality discussions in the Commonwealth – Helena Dalli

LGBTI issues should become a regular feature of any action plan, conference or activity related to equality within the Commonwealth, Minister Helena Dalli siad addressing a policy dialogue session of the Commonwealth People’s Forum 2015 on LGBTI today.

In her intervention, Dalli emphasised the need for all political leaders to heed the voices of LGBTI people for recognition and respect and act on them in concrete ways.

Referring to Commonwealth’s Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma statements that discrimination and criminalisation on grounds of sexual orientation is incompatible with Commonwealth values, Dalli said that it would be futile to agree amongst ourselves that LGBTIQ people should enjoy their human rights and their freedoms if this call does not reach heads of government.

“During the past two and a half years, the Maltese government engaged with Maltese and European civil society in its quest for equality for all, with  an LGBTIQ consultative council founded in 2013 and composed of representatives from civil society, becoming instrumental in the drawing up of the civil unions act and the gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics act,” she said.

“We have the power to challenge discrimination, and ensure that the right procedures are adopted to guarantee the right to gender identity in all spheres of life, as well as bodily integrity against unwanted and unnecessary bodily interventions” Dalli added.

Dalli also referred to the LGBTIQ action plan for the period 2015-2017 drawn up by the consultative council and adopted by government to address issues of concern that had not yet been addressed including redressing the current blood donation ban for gay men, the ban on lesbian women’s access to IVF treatment and the current lack of protection against conversion therapy.

 “Nothing will change, unless we do not change it ourselves” Dalli said, stressing the need for politicians to stand on the side of justice, of the vulnerable and of all those who are victims of discrimination.