The disparaging remarks and misrepresentation made after children attended a EuroPride dance in Valletta last weekend "highlights how far we are from achieving true equality in society", according to the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality. 

A number of people, including public figures, had questioned the inclusion of children in the Dancing with Pride event held in the run-up to EuroPride, which will be held in Valletta in September.

"Disparaging comments against a collective dance that gives visibility to LGBTIQ persons serve as a stark reminder of the need for Pride," the NCPE said in a statement, backing civil society organisations in condemning the comments made on social media.

"Equality entails the genuine acceptance, inclusion and visibility of all social groups, including LGBTIQ persons.”

Malta, it said, has made great strides in recognising equal rights for persons of different sexual orientations and gender identities.

However, the fact that some people expressed condemnation at the presence of children during a collective dance - an age-appropriate event that saw the participation of people from all walks of life - showed that some still perceive the identities of LGBTIQ persons as deviant and not equally valuable to straight and cisgender identities. 

The NCPE noted that children are constantly exposed to straight and cisgender expressions of sexual orientation and gender identity.

“Why, then, should the existence of LGBTIQ persons be hidden from them? Expecting LGBTIQ persons to become invisible has nothing to do with protecting children; it’s all about perpetuating social inequality and marginalisation,” it said.

Historically, the Pride event has been a celebration of LGBTIQ identities in a context of inequality that devalues such identities, it concluded.