Gayly radical and refreshing

It was such a relief to hear Jesmond Mugliett say at the inauguration of a week of cultural and educational entertainment with a gay theme that his presence there meant he did not agree with any discrimination based on sexual orientation. It was a relief to see a Nationalist minister attending the event.

I hope the Nationalist Party will continue to be an inclusive party, despite the obviously conservative elements that will also prevail.

We expect a lot from politicians but this is one area where they can deliver and deliver properly. Through example, politicians can help bring about greater tolerance among the people. This will, in turn, help the island to continue to develop and be a great place for us all.

Eddie Fenech Adami has shown us the way in this field, taking the island out of the old Labour years by practising tolerance and respect. If we are more tolerant today than we have ever been before we have to thank Dr Fenech Adami for that. With Malta being so overcrowded, tolerance is absolutely essential.

We all know someone who is gay. Those of us with a modicum of intelligence know that the next gay person we know could be our best friend, our son or our daughter, our teacher or even our parent.

Some may find it difficult to accept this but we can all help to make it less so by being tolerant and, most importantly, by helping gay people to lead normal lives.

Society should do everything possible to normalise the situation of gays, to help them have more stable relationships. Of course, issues over their pension rights and many other matters would need to be considered.

It is so disgusting hearing rude remarks made at gays in the streets. Most of the aggression comes from heterosexual men.

Matters will improve when such garish gay parades or weeks dedicated to gays will be considered irrelevant and are done away with. As a member of the largest minority group, that of women, I do empathise with the needs of gays to raise their profile and to educate us all into being tolerant. However, I would like to live in a society in which there would be no need to have a woman's day or a gay awareness week.

Gays are no threat. Before they used to hide. Now they do not anymore and thank God for that. But not hiding is not enough. Society must allow them equal participation.

I am sure some people will already have rejected what I said here. But, please, do stop and consider that your beautiful children whom you adore could one day grow up to be gay. If that were to be so, what kind of opportunities would you like them to have?

If you have feelings, it should make you feel very, very different about these issues.