Malta drops to second place in LGBTIQ Europe index

Malta has dropped to second place in the European index that measures LGBTIQ protection and human rights, with Spain taking the top spot.

Malta had held the top spot in the 49-country ranking for 10 years. However, a number of new policies in Spain meant that it received a score of 89 per cent in the ILGA Europe index, compared to Malta’s score of 88 per cent.

Those policies include a “depathologisation of trans identities in healthcare, new legal protections, new national LGBTI and trans strategies, a new independent equal treatment and non-discrimination authority, and a determined fightback against far-right attempts to dismantle national trans protections,” a statement by ILGA Europe said.

Contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the Equality Secretariat said Malta “will retake first place once the Equality Bill is adopted”.

They said the bill, which passed its first reading before parliament was dissolved ahead of the election, would establish a National Commission for Human Rights and Equality and extend anti-discrimination protection to every person in Malta in access to goods and services, healthcare, and every area of public life.

That bill would protect individuals in all spheres of life “regardless of sex, family responsibilities, health status, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion or belief, racial or ethnic origin, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics or other status,” the spokesperson said.

The secretariat said that once the bill is reintroduced and adopted, Malta's score on the Rainbow Map would rise by 6.6 points, returning Malta to first place in the European ranking.

The spokesperson said the government is also implementing its LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy, “addressing the wellbeing, protection and inclusion of LGBTIQ+ persons in everyday life”.

The government spokesperson added that the index is not a competition, adding that Malta wants to see every country move up the ladder “by embracing equality for all”.

“We are seeing more and more countries take equality policy seriously and move up the ranking. The fact that all five top-ranked countries now score above 85% shows that equality legislation is delivering concrete results across the continent,” they said.

'Situation a bit stagnant'- MGRM

Asked to react, the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) said it was not worried by Malta losing the top spot.

“We do not believe this is worrying for Malta, as our situation has not deteriorated. We're happy that a country like Spain has been moving forward in terms of legislation”.

“However, our situation has become a bit stagnant when it comes to the advancement of certain rights,” they said.

MGRM called on the government to pass the Equality Act and other policies.

They said a National Anti-Hate Speech Strategy that includes mandatory training for the Malta Police Force is needed, along with a specialised unit that effectively prosecutes hate speech.

The MGRM also wants gender-affirming surgeries to be funded by the state and a monitoring body to stop “grey area” surgeries on intersex infants “under the guise of ‘medical necessity’ without informed consent”.

It also called for more protection for LGBTIQ asylum seekers.

“Asylum seekers in Malta still face significant risks in open centres. Specialised housing is needed, along with sensitive fast-tracking for those fleeing countries where being LGBTIQ is a capital offence,” the movement said.