Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1506906
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 3 SEPTEMBER 2023 NEWS 14 April 2014 Civil unions give same-sex couples the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage, including adoption rights, approved by parliament with no vote against and the abstention of the Opposition. 3 March 2015 Gender identity bill approved unanimously by parliament. The law gives everyone the right to request the Director of the Public Registry to change the recorded gender and, or, first name, to reflect that person's self-determined gender identity even in the absence of a medical intervention. The law gives parents the possibility to postpone the entry of a gender marker on their children's birth certificate until the child is 14 years old. 5 December 2016 Malta becomes first EU country to outlaw gay conversion therapy, criminalising any practice which seeks to change or repress a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The law imposes fines and jail terms for anyone advertising, offering, performing or referring an individual to another person which performs any form of conversion practice. 12 July 2017 Parliament approves amendments to the Marriage Act which allow persons of the same sex to marry in the same way as opposite sex couples. All the House's MPs, with the exception of Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo, vote in favour after both sides publicly declared their support. 19 June 2018 Amendments to the Embryo Protection Act, including opening up access to IVF treatment in Malta for same-sex couples and single women, approved by a majority in parliament. The march to equality MALTA'S top ranking in Eu- rope's 'rainbow index' for eight years in a row is a stark re- minder of the blitzkrieg of LG- BTIQ-friendly laws Labour in- troduced since being elected to power, an incredible feat for a country which had only intro- duced divorce in 2011 – and which still bans abortion. In 2013, Malta languished at the 18th spot in the Interna- tional Lesbian Gay Association's ranking. Ten years on, same-sex couples can marry and adopt children, transgender people can freely change their gender iden- tity, and same-sex couples have been granted access to IVF ser- vices. But how far is this change re- flected in everyday norms and behaviour? "Laws and policies do not neces- sarily change cultures. They put the issues on the political agenda. They create more awareness and debate but culturally ingrained ideas are not easy to change," says sociologist Angele Deguara, who still recognises that today the Maltese are a society more em- bracing of sexual and gender di- versities and relationships which "do not fit the heteronormative framework." She attributes this to the dimin- ished influence of the Catholic church after the watershed di- vorce referendum of 2011, and political propaganda by the rul- ing Labour Party which increased "acceptance". "These laws gave legitimacy to our existence and created the safe space for many to come out… even people in the 40s and 50s started coming out," says Alex Caruana, an activist at the Mal- ta Gay Rights Movement where he also works as a senior pro- gramme officer. Caruana recalls that when MGRM introduced its 'rainbow support service' in 2013, people were still wary of revealing their identity to the extent that they would call from an "unknown number". "Today young people come to seek help accompanied by their parents, who feel comfortable asking questions in this safe en- vironment, Caruana says. In the streets, he adds, more same-sex couples hold hands and no longer refrain from showing affection in public. And a major change, yet of- ten overlooked change that im- pacted the most disadvantaged categories, is Malta's Gender Wellbeing Clinic, a government health service offered for trans- gender persons living in Malta. Set up in 2018, the clinic is run by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals special- ised with working with all gender identities. "On this count we are far more advanced than other European countries," Caruana says. "Elsewhere patients seek- ing access to treatment face long waiting lists to get access to treat- ment." What's left to fight for? But this does not mean that Malta has become an LGBTIQ paradise, says Deguara, believing it is far too early to declare mis- sion accomplished. "Despite the legal and policy changes, and the fact that Malta has for years oc- cupied the top position on the IL- GA Europe map for equal rights, there is always much left to be done, particularly in terms of cultural change, education about gender and sexual diversity, and LGBTIQ+ migrant rights." Caruana insists that a greater focus is needed on employment issues, particularly to the prob- lems faced by trans and non-bi- nary people when applying for jobs and presenting themselves for interviews in a way which defies dominant gender norms, but which reflects their identi- ty. "When they present them- selves in a way which conforms to social norms but which defies their own identity, they face no problems. But when they present themselves as they really are, they face problems and often end up jobless." Caruana also highlights the importance of the Equality Bill – now on the backburner after a concerted outcry from Catholic and conservative organisations – specifically designed to prohibit discrimination in various aspects of life. It has since disappeared from the political agenda of the Labour government. He signals challenges related to healthcare, particularly the stig- ma associated with HIV, a con- dition which affects people of all orientations but which has a his- tory in the LGBTIQ community. "There is little psychological sup- port following a diagnosis. Basi- cally, people are left alone in their most difficult moment." Caruana says Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, available from pharmacies at a price of €56.70 for 30 tablets, should be offered for free since it is a very effective way of prevent- ing HIV, especially among those with a sexually active lifestyle. Caruana points out that for this reason, Prep is available for free from sexual health clinics in the United Kingdom. Human rights for everyone, everywhere The other major issue facing the community is the plight of LGB- TIQ asylum seekers, something which cannot be ignored at Eu- ropride, whose motto is 'human rights for everyone, everywhere'. "We are aware of at least eight LGBTIQ persons whose appli- cation was rejected despite hail- ing from countries where their identity is criminalised," Deguara says. Malta considers eight countries that criminalise homosexuality as EuroPride: Mission accomplished? Malta's great leap forward on LGBTIQ+ rights transformed it from conservative backwater to global leader in under a decade. Is Europride an occasion to look back and celebrate, or is the fight still on? JAMES DEBONO discusses the epochal changes and future challenges with sociologist Angele Deguara and activist Alex Caruana