LGBTIQ rights cannot be taken for granted

Over the past decade, Malta’s progress in securing the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons has been breath-taking, to say the least. 

The Rainbow Index, published by advocacy group ILGA-Europe, has placed Malta at the top of the international charts for the past few years, ahead of the normally more progressive Nordic countries. 

This achievement came about through a lot of hard work by LGBTIQ activists, and the deliberate political action of a determined Labour government that passed legislation to improve people’s quality of life. 

From that watershed moment in 2014 – when civil unions became a reality, and same-sex couples stopped being ‘ghosts’ in a system that did not recognise their mutual commitment and love – to marriage equality three years later; and from legislation that banned harmful gay conversion therapy, to laws that allowed trans people to self-identify without the need to undergo surgery and lengthy court procedures; this country has undeniably taken significant strides forward. 

Indeed, Malta was a trailblazer in many of these aspects: acting as a model of sorts, for progressives the world over. 

Changing those laws was never going to be enough, though; and a lot had to be done to sensitise people and bureaucratic systems to the rights and expectations of LGBTIQ+ persons. The road is still a long one to ensure the country moves from ‘a state of acceptance’ towards ‘a state of equality’; but the change is nonetheless palpable. 

It is positive that parliament last week voted unanimously for changes to tighten the screws on the illegal advertising of gay conversion therapy. It was a message against abuse of people who may be at their most vulnerable. 

But it would be a big mistake if progressives and human rights activists were to rest on the laurels of their achievements, to date. Developments in other countries show that such civil liberties are not to be taken for granted. 

Uganda, for instance, has just introduced legislation that practically makes it criminal to even be gay. LGBTIQ persons in that country risk going to jail if they even speak about their sexuality; let alone be intimate with their loved ones. 

In Australia, LGBTIQ activists protesting outside a church last month were attacked by a mob 30 times their size. Several protestors were punched and hit with rocks and bottles. And in neighbouring Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s government refuses to provide official recognition to the children of same-sex couples. 

These are but a handful of examples where LGBTIQ persons around the world are forced to push back against oppression, and invisibility in the eyes of the State. 

It would therefore be a mistake to believe that Malta is somehow immune to these situations, because of the impressive progress it has achieved. 

Rolling back rights is not easy; but there will always be those who believe that granting someone the right to self-fulfilment poses a threat to society. 

Even today, we can see ‘micro aggressions’ such as the most recent controversy: where two mainstream politicians were on the same page as Christian extremists, in objecting to a play for children intended to promote acceptance and understanding of diversity. The underlying message transmitted by the objectors was that children should be isolated from the reality around them; and, more significantly, from the reality within them. 

Within this context, the Europride celebrations that will be held in Malta in September take on a greater significance. They will focus the spotlight on what has been achieved in Malta so far; but more importantly, on what more still needs to change. 

Celebrations like these remain important to push onto the agenda the ongoing struggles LGBTIQ+ people face on a daily basis, so that policy action can be taken to provide redress. They are also important to show the rest of society that this is a community of people with aspirations to live a fulfilling life on a personal level, as much as citizens contributing to the country’s wellbeing. 

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since the celebrations in St George’s Square nine years ago, when parliament approved the civil unions law. The scenes of jubilation, and the smiling faces of people who had been invisible to the State until that point, will remain lasting memories for all those who were there on the night. 

But maintaining rights and strengthening them requires constant vigilance, in a world where extremism seeks to deny people the right to be themselves. 

Malta has already proven that it can be at the forefront in legislating for equality; and it must remain so, while ensuring that this translates into effective change in the lives of people.