Wednesday, 1st April 2009
'Gays, lesbians still experience discrimination'
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual and transgender (LGBT) people in Malta still feel they are victims of discrimination, according to an EU report issued yesterday in Brussels.
The discrimination is felt particularly in areas such as health services and education.
The report was drawn up by the EU's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and based on country reports and an EU-wide survey.
The research found that many in Malta still conceal their sexual orientation from relatives, fearing a negative reaction. However, the majority of those who decide to be open are generally met with acceptance within their family.
Nearly a third of LGBT people in Malta say they conceal their sexual orientation when accessing health services, again fearing discrimination.
As for education, information gathered locally on homophobic bullying, harassment and violence shows that Maltese transgender students are particularly affected by prejudice. Many drop out of school or skip classes because of bullying, harassment or lack of understanding by teachers and students.
The report also highlights the fact that the Maltese gay lobby is finding it very difficult to improve its rights as "calls... have invariably been met with negative responses from some politicians and representatives of religious institutions or groups".
While the Maltese were found to be quite comfortable with having LGBT persons as their neighbours, only 18 per cent agreed with the statement that LGBT couples should have a legal right to get married and only seven per cent - the lowest level among the EU 27 member states - agreed that these couples should be permitted to adopt children.
According to the report, the promotion of diversity regarding sexual orientation is often difficult in environments controlled by religious organisations hostile to LGBT issues. It claims that Maltese LGBT NGOs have been blocked or ignored by school authorities when attempting to raise awareness and combat homophobia in schools.
"In Malta, where the Catholic Church administers around one third of the schools, the Malta Gay Rights Movement has reportedly been barred from disseminating leaflets of education materials that present LGBT issues," the report says.
On a general EU level, despite considerable advances in recent years, the social situation for LGBT people throughout the European Union is still considered to be a problem, particularly in the eastern member states.
Discrimination, bullying, harass-ment and attacks take place across the EU while politicians in a number of eastern member states seem to side with or turn a blind eye to the perpetrators, according to the report.
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Comments
5) Once again. Have you (a)been baptized and (b)do you believe?
a) If NOT then you WILL NOT BE SAVED BUT DAMNED.
b) If a Christian has been baptized and believes then they should exhibit the "signs" mentioned above, such as being able to drink any deadly poison (such as battery acid, etc.) and not be harmed. How about the other signs? Can all believing and baptized Christians lay their hand on any randomly selected terminally ill cancer patient or paraplegic and have him rise completely cured? Does this not require that the Christian world be completely free of all illness, doctors, and hospitals? According to this verse, should not all believing, baptized, Christians be able to do this if they truly believe are to be saved? If a Christian does not exhibit these signs, then does this not prove that they do not believe, and thus will not be saved but damned?
‘One can browse on Original Sin in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. ..’
Could you please refer the verses please? Fro now, I will not debate the Trinity; will just stick to trace Bible reference to Original sin.
@ Mr. Joe Zammit
Have a look at this please.
Mark 16:16-18 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; (a) In my name shall they cast out devils; (b) they shall speak with new tongues; (c)They shall take up serpents; and (d) if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; (e) they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Jesus (The Bible ) says ORIGINAL SIN does not exist.
Matthew 19:14 (also Mark 10:14, and Luke 18:16).
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
All the many millennia of previous prophets (Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Noah, ...etc.) and their people are all condemned to never receive true salvation simply because Jesus, arrived to late to save them. In other words, they have sin forced upon them (by Adam, 1 Corinthians 15:22) and the chance for redemption withheld from them (By Jesus' late arrival after their death, Galatians 2:16).
Paul says
"Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come."
Romans 5:14 "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath reason to boast; but not before God."
Romans 4:2 If Jesus had only arrived as soon as Adam committed his sin and not thousands of generations later then maybe all of these generations could have received true salvation (like this generation).
I Tend to agree with PDebono
What the difference between Taliban and the crusaders? Two missions with same purpose under different names. Wouldn’t both lynch who ever dare to oppose?
@ Joe Zammit
Can you please define what the original sin is? Such thing I could not find it in the Bible. There are too many verses which declare that there is only ONE God in existence and that He does not hold mankind responsible for the sin of any man. Examples of these verses are available to this day (e.g. Isaiah 43:10-11, Ezekiel 18:19-20, Deuteronomy 24:16...etc.). If however the ‘original sin’ is associated with the trinity’ please tell me where can I find the word trinity in the Bible (OT and NT)
Those abusing Christianity may be dead in 50 years time but Christianity will not. I believe that it will still be part of society's life as it has been for the past 2000 years.
We must not judge and condemn one another otherwise society will suffer, and this holds true for everyone, all of us, no matter who we are, what we are. Prejudices work both ways
Gays have always been with us: it's not a trend. Science tells us that is a genetical condition - so what's the big fuss? Let people live their own sexuality. Mr Zammit - you live yours but don't interfere.
Just do it, enjoy it but make no fuss about it.
It is in the interest of these LGBT exponents to set up their own political parties and change politics by means of democratic processes. Calling the Church Taliban does not improve the situation. Really such unfair titles only show the prejudice still existing towards the Church, its leaders and members.
Contrary to what one commentator wrote here, I do not see any prevalent prejudice in our society. We all know that homosexuals are today accepted by society in general, but still seen as negative by individuals, same as is found in other western countries.
Putting religion in the equation does not fit, since church membership is free, and anybody can join or leave at his own free will.
@PDebono:About comparing the Church to a Taliban, I am amused by the thought of our humble Archbishop dressing up in a battle fatigue, bullet rounds on his chest, grenades dangling by his belt and a kalashnikov pointed towards the skies.....
Homosexuals, leave your sinful life and convert! Your conversion is possible as it was possible for others before you, always by God's all-powerful grace. These have converted and are now happy and in peace with God, with their relatives and with themselves.
People like you probably believe that 'nature' is a manifestation of God's handiwork. If you do believe so explain to me the disorderliness of homosexual behaviour in wild lions, giraffes, several fish species and even common house flies. Are all these animals committing 'grave sins'?
We might not be able to explain everything that we see in the world around us (though there are several interesting hypotheses) to the satisfaction of people like you, but at least, please live by the adage of live and let live.
PS what is it with you and homosexuality... your name crops up each time there is a mention of this 'abomination'. Have you got an itch you can't quite reach?
Such a lawsuit with a media campaign which combines 1. the information the LGBT NGO wants to make public and 2. respect for those institutions who disagree could help.
While I respect the Church's right to disagree with the opinions of the LGBT NGOs should it wish to do so, this does not extend to the suppression of information. The Church is also subject to and has to act within the confines of the law.
Before the Church removes its Taliban stranglehold on the nation, things will never move forward. The Church's place is in the Church, not in any other institution, and it really would be a disgrace if it kept on interfering in matters which are none of its business.