Alex Mangion, 25, has become Malta’s first transgender elected official after being elected to the Attard local council.
“I never thought I’d be in a position where I could be this open about myself,” said a tired but upbeat Mr Mangion, interrupted on several occasions by congratulatory calls from well-wishers in his locality.
“This is a big milestone for the country and I hope it sends a message to the right people. It shows that trans people are capable of exactly the same things as everyone else. We’re not in a lower category. It’s your capacity that counts.”
Mr Mangion came out publicly as a transgender man during the Nationalist Party general conference last November. He was elected to the Attard council on the PN ticket in last week’s election with the third-highest vote tally of any of the candidates.
The achievement, he said, marked the next chapter in a long process of accepting himself and coming out to those around him, a process which was often fraught with pain.
This is a big milestone for the country and I hope it sends a message to the right people
On the campaign trail, Mr Mangion encountered resistance in a number of households when his gender identity became known. A number of people also insisted on referring to him by the gender he was assigned at birth, having known him before he transitioned.
“Not to embarrass them, I suffered myself. But it has been a difficult hurdle to overcome, which makes this a personal triumph as well,” he said. “I think an LGBT person brings a new perspective to politics. Having someone who knows what it means to experience such difficulties gives you a more humane element. People can relate to that and you can relate to them.”
Despite the PN’s sometimes strained relationship with the LGBT community – Mr Mangion himself, in fact, was a vocal critic when the party abstained on the Civil Unions Act – Mr Mangion said the party had come a long way on the issue.
“Labour have hit the ground running but the PN are catching up. Simon Busuttil himself said in the campaign that the party is open and people like me have brought a new perspective.”
He added that he was keen for people to see him as more than just a ‘transgender politician’, listing the issues close to his heart as youth, the elderly and the environment.
“My message is to stick to what you believe, no matter the obstacles in your way. The final destination makes it worthwhile,” Mr Mangion said.