'Malta will use Commonwealth chairmanship to promote LGBTIQ rights' - Muscat

Prime Minister says the bloc must 'promote inclusivity, not simply speak about it'

The Commonwealth should up its game in promoting LGBTIQ rights within its member countries, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

“The work of the Commonwealth is not limited to speaking about inclusivity, but about showing leadership so that the discussion of minorities like LGBTIQ people doesn’t remain a taboo topic,” Muscat said comments to the media, after a ceremony commemorating Commonwealth Day in London.

He added that Malta, as the Commonwealth's chair in office, will work to place LGBTIQ on the agenda so as to “ensure inclusivity through facts”.

Members of the Commonwealth include Uganda, where homosexual behaviour is punishable with life imprisonment, and Brunei, where homosexuals are stoned to deth.

He praised Maltese Muslim student Sara Ezabe, who was granted a Commonwealth leadership award for her work in promoting inclusivity.

“We should all be proud of her experience, as it shows what Malta truly stands for,” Muscat said.