Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1507380
13 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 10 SEPTEMBER 2023 Exploring the vibrant world of GAYYAĠNI In celebration of Malta's evolution in LGBTIQ+ policies and hosting of Europride 2023, MaltaToday's NICOLE MEILAK and MAYA DIMITRIJEVIC embarked on an exciting project called Gayyaġni THIS six-episode video series aims to delve into the alternative queer scene in Malta, shedding light on atypical performance and party culture, queer migrants, the work of LGBTIQ+ pio- neers, Gozitan queer culture, sexual lib- eration, and the journey of transgender individuals. Gayyaġni seeks to create awareness, educate, and celebrate the diversity within the vibrant queer com- munity of Malta. The episodes will start airing on Mal- taToday and its social media platforms from Monday 11 September. This six-episode video series aims to delve into the alternative queer scene in Malta, shedding light on atypical performance and party culture, queer migrants, the work of LGBTIQ+ pio- neers, Gozitan queer culture, sexual lib- eration, and the journey of transgender individuals. Gayyaġni seeks to create awareness, educate, and celebrate the diversity within the vibrant queer com- munity of Malta. The episodes will start airing on Mal- taToday and its social media platforms from Monday 11 September. THE series com- mences by delving into the eccentricity of Malta's LGBTIQ+ community, examin- ing the thriving alter- native performance and party scene. From meeting party promot- ers and awe-inspiring drag artists, to discussing topics like drug usage, techno, and BDSM, Gayyaġni aims to showcase this unique crowd in a posi- tive and destigmatizing tone. One of the first people we meet on this journey is Kris Micallef, a photographer by profession who turned the queer party scene on its head with Lollipop – Malta's favourite queer night out. Lollipop was created with the aim of blasting top tunes loved by the community while celebrating queer aesthetics. Lollipop started as a one-off party sev- en years ago but has now gained space in popular local festivals such as Earth Garden and is expanding globally after performing at Sziget Festival this year in Budapest. There are also plenty of up-and-coming parties in the queer scene. One of these is Peach, Malta's first queer party created 'by girls, for girls'. Peach took off instantly when it was launched by a group of seven women late last year. We sat down with Amy Micallef Decesare and Harley Mall- ia to learn more about the importance of creating safe spaces in the queer commu- nity. For people who prefer a night out at a bar while enjoying some queer art, Satur- gay has you covered. Saturgay is a queer performance show focusing on drag and queer musicians. We interviewed Gabe Chetcuti (also known as Klonn) and Kris- sie Sammut, two of the minds behind the event, as they take us through the creation of Saturgay and how they work to keep this space safe and accessible to the com- munity. GAYYAĠNI takes a powerful step for- ward by giving space to queer migrants who have found solace and acceptance within Malta's queer-friendly communi- ty. This segment addresses the challenges faced by migrants who have endured per- secution due to their sexuality or gender identity in their country of origin and try to find a safer place in Malta. Chakib and Dali are two queer migrants from Tunisia that advocate for LGBTIQ+ rights within the migrant community. Dancers and artists by profession, the duo spoke to us about the realities faced by queer migrants seeking asylum in Malta's detention centres. But Ola and Irene, a couple from Po- land, are experiencing their own happi- ly-ever-after in Malta. Poland has a strong anti-gender movement, with civil liberties becoming more restrictive. They spoke to us about what it's like to be a queer per- son in Poland, from threats of corrective rapes to second-guessing whether it's safe to hold each other's hands in public. Episode 1: Exploring the alternative queer scene Episode 2: Giving voice to queer migrants Peach Ola and Irene Saturgay Klonn and Krissie Kris Dali and Chakib CONTINUES ON PAGES 14 - 15