Since last year’s pride march there has been a significant change in Malta: families which had hitherto only been recognised socially can now also be recognised legally. As it should be.
When the Maltese Parliament voted for civil unions, albeit not unanimously, we were legislating with the humility which comes from having a defective national record in the area of equality for LGBTI citizens.
To me, the legislation was long overdue. We are all aware of the social realities of the different forms of families and that some were deprived of a legal framework. Now, whether you are a man and a woman, a man and a man or a woman and a woman, your relationship is equal even in the eyes of the law.
The theme of this year’s Malta Pride Week was, fittingly, “Family where love matters more”.
I’m very happy and proud to have been part of a government that brought about this sea change in public policy in the earliest instances of the legislature.
A lot of work needs to be done to change the stereotyped culture which is different from the day-to-day realities of families not structured in the traditional way
According to ILGA-Europe “vast improvements were seen in Malta, which had a score 22 points higher than in last year’s survey”. We are now ranked 11th best in Europe, up by seven places in one year.
As Gabi Calleja, co-chair of ILGA-Europe’s executive board, pointed out: “ILGA-Europe’s 2014 edition of its Rainbow Europe package shows that while the human rights of LGBTI people have undoubtedly gained great visibility across Europe, progress in terms of real legal, political and social changes vary considerably from one country to another, in large part depending on levels of societal acceptance, of political leadership and political will, as well as the strength of civil society in a given country.”
It’s sad that the Opposition abstained from the vote on the Civil Unions Bill, but I trust that by time all of Parliament will be in agreement that civil union on a par with marriage – and thus including all the rights enjoyed by married people – was the right option.
At the end of last week’s Pride march I invited the Opposition to send its representative to the government’s consultative council now that its ‘sexual orientation’ group has been set up.
There is a lot of work to be done, and I hope that having such a branch will prepare the PN parliamentary group better for when we bring to Parliament further legislation in this area of policy.
I thank all those who contributed to the legislation which passed and to that in the pipeline, namely the NGOs and the volunteers. Together with our political will, they made the Civil Union Act, and the legal recognition it grants to same-sex couples and their families, possible.
Surely this doesn’t mean our job is done. There is a lot which we still have to do and we definitely cannot be complacent.
And this is not just about us. It saddens me to hear of instances where steps backwards are being taken, such as the National Library Board of Singapore withdrawing children’s books that portray gay or unconventional families.
It is also a fact that in some countries the human rights of gay people are violated.
A lot of work also needs to be done in order to change the stereotyped culture which is different from the day-to-day realities of families that are not structured in the traditional way. The earlier we acknowledge these various family forms, the better for them and for the whole of society.
It is the values of freedom and respect for diversity which we must instil. They should be the values which define us in a pluralist society.
This is the direction we will continue to take. “Proudest pride week”, one participant at last Friday’s Pride March pointed out.
I told her that I’m not fond of superlatives, but I will take exception this time and use her phrase for the title of my piece here.
Helena Dalli is the Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties.