Gay rights movement celebrates 20 years from ‘first walk under the rainbow’

Malta’s LGBTIQ rights movement MGRM is celebrating 20 years from the first Pride march of June 2004 during this year’s Pride week with a series of projects that celebrate the memories of those who were present at the first march, creating rich archival material that will act as reference for future generations.

On 5 September, MGRM launches the exhibition ‘The First Walk Under the Rainbow’ at the Malta Postal Museum and Arts Hub in Archbishop Street, Valletta. The exhibition will feature the memories shared by 12 people who either organised or were present in the first Pride march twenty years ago.

Their memories will be illustrated by a series of portraits and anecdotes, alongside archival material that will be displayed in the exhibition that will run until the 14 September 2024.

The interviews narrate the run-up to the Pride march, and the way organisers managed to bring together a small group of activists, allies, politicians and members of the community in a day that made history.

Alongside the exhibition, MGRM is also launching a new publication sharing the same name of the exhibition, which collects the interviews of the same individuals who feature in the exhibition.

The exhibition is curated by Francesca Zammit. Ascend Creative Studio and Johann Agius were the creative minds behind the interviews, videos and photography. The exhibition also includes photos by Alan Carville and archival photography from MGRM’s own archives. The designs featured in the exhibition, publication and videos are by Adam Brimmer. The project was managed by Robert Attard, MGRM's Community & Outreach Officer.

The project has been funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by The Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector supported by the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector.