In her article published on May 10 Petra Caruana Dingli lambasted my response to Fr Richard-Nazzereno Farrugia’s attack on Gozo’s rainbow crossing inaugural press conference.
According to her, “his article was written in a civil tone, and naturally, he was entitled to explain his views”. Conversely, she found my response and explanation of the context of the press conference distasteful, calling me a “rottweiler” with a “rude attitude”, whose response was full of “jibes”, “insults” and even “propaganda”.
While writing her piece, Ms Caruana Dingli was so hot under the collar that she failed to see the paradox of her use of Voltaire’s “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it” to guard Fr Farrugia’s right to publish his views, while lashing at my response further. Apparently, I do not qualify from the same defence to death of my right to speak freely.
In his article, Fr Farrugia made various assertions that government’s policy on LGBTIQ equality is ill-informed, even stating that it is leading to the creation of “new discriminations, denying the truth of sexual difference and the fact that marriage can only be between a man and a woman”. With this one biologically deterministic statement, he negated the existence of LGBTIQ people within the wider expressions of human sexuality and genders and subsequently attacked the systematic approach adopted by government to correct historic discriminations through legislation, policy and education.
Today is IDAHOT, the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, which marks the struggles of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and genderqueer people for their equality in society.
We have much to cheer in this field, with Malta being the fastest climber on ILGA-Europe’s rainbow index for the second year running, reaching the third spot in Europe with regard to legislation and policies. Similarly, Malta placed ninth best place to live as gay or lesbian in Gallup’s global survey.
However, these successes should not lead us to believe that all is fine and nothing more should be done to enhance equality further. On the contrary, we need to speak up for the rights of those pupils who are bullied in schools because they are perceived as ‘gay’; we need to find ways of making life easier for LGBTIQ youth who are having a hard time coming out; and we should ensure that trans, genderqueer and intersex people are fully included in society as the rest of us.
If this human rights call earns government the title of ‘rottweiler’, then so be it. Until all are free and equal, it will be its duty to continue barking.