Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1428470
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 14 NOVEMBER 2021 NEWS IN a predominantly Catholic island, the strides Malta has made in LGBT-friend- ly laws have truly changed the face of the country over the past 10 years. This is primarily reflected through the island's laws – in 2015, the practice of conversa- tion therapy was ruled illegal, with those who still practice facing significant fines and even a potential five-month jail term. Under Maltese law, neither sexual ori- entation nor gender identification can be classified as a disease, disorder or short- coming of any sort. Additionally, the age at which people can independently request for their gender to be changed in official documents was changed to 16. Then in 2017, Malta went one step further and legalised same-sex marriage. The country's IVF laws also reflect this notion of equality, giving same-sex cou- ples the ability to access IVF. These are bold moves for a predomi- nantly Catholic country that only began allowing divorce in 2011 and is the only member of the European Union that still considers abortion to be criminal office. Nevertheless, Malta is ranked number one in the ILGA-Europe ranking of all 49 countries in Europe on their respect for gay rights and equality. However, how does this translate when running for pol- itics? While Malta has put forward LBGT candidates, it has only elected a handful of people such as Cyrus Engerer to posts such as MEP. Notably, Malta has yet to elect a transgender or non-binary person to office. Kassandra Mallia (she/her) Kassandra Mallia is a candidate for the pan-European party Volt, who will be contesting in the next general election. Mallia said that while she always want- ed to get into politics, she only recently reached a place in her life where she felt comfortable stepping forward. "I've re- alised that to tackle the problems Malta faces, I have to step up and be part of that change and not just sit on the sidelines and wait for someone else to do some- thing for me." Mallia said her party choice came down to the fact that she doesn't have a high level of trust in either of the island's two leading parties: Labour or National- ist. "We need something far better than choosing between the better of two mar- ginally identical parties. That's why I chose Volt." Mallia will be running in districts 9 and 11. A Mosta native, she said that one of the things that spurred her to get into politics was the wish to help the locality she grew up in and that her parents have lived in since the 1980s. Being a transgender candidate, Mallia faces unique problems that her counter- parts do not. However, the candidate said that the best way to approach people on the issue of gender and sexuality is to un- derstand the confusion and seek to edu- cate where possible. "A lot of people have always approached presentation and gender as being aligned. So I understand that there is a big infor- mation gap. On my own journey, this is something that I myself had to learn about as well," she said. Nonetheless, Mallia said that her pol- icies and what she stands for should be at the forefront – while also being open to discussions on pronouns and gender when the conversation is brought up. "My policies and my personal identity are sep- arate, though; that's how I look at it." Discussing the sometimes-toxic envi- ronment online, Mallia says she tries not to worry about those who choose not to understand. "It doesn't scare me; I get that they're either purposely trying to avoid solving issues or that they have a severe lack of information and understanding. And that's something I pity, rather than would be angry about." Alex Mangion (he/him) Alex Mangion is a candidate for the Na- tionalist Party and the deputy mayor of Attard. He will be contesting the 11th district, which he concedes will be diffi- cult as there is stiff competition. On running as a transgender candidate, Mangion said that he never felt it was an issue, despite being part of what many consider a conservative party. He noted that more often than not, people are will- ing to understand, learn and listen. Mangion said that having been in the political sphere since 2015, he has met many different people around Malta and never felt unwelcome. Even within his own party, Mangion said that while he has had to explain certain things to a few people, he has never been shut out of the conversation or told to "get lost." When asked about how he tackles peo- ple who may not understand, he said he always starts by explaining his point of view and experience. "Through explain- ing where I'm coming from, I can help people see that there's more that unites us than what makes us different," he said. The candidate said that he didn't feel like there was a barrier between him and party members. "They are far more ac- cepting than people think they are. It's a misconception that they aren't." Mina Jack Tolu (they/them) Mina Jack Tolu is a trans-feminist activ- ist and candidate for ADPD, the Green Party. They will be contesting in districts 9 and 10. Tolu said they have a close connection with these districts, having grown up in Pembroke. "It's where I call home; my mother grew up in Paceville back when there was still a community – that's ac- tually where my parents met," Tolu said. Tolu will be contesting with ADPD for the first time after AD and PD merged together in 2020. They previously were a candidate for the European elections in 2019. The transgender candidates contesting the next general election Alex Mangion, Kassandra Mallia, and Mina Jack Tolu are three transgender candidates contesting the next general election under the PN, Volt, and ADPD tickets respectively. Laura Calleja interviews them on navigating a still conservative society and how they handle being in the public eye