Civil Liberties Minister Helena Dalli has praised the controversial introduction of gender-neutral bathrooms at the University of Malta and said she would support a similar move in all public buildings.
“That is where we need to move,” Dr Dalli told the Times of Malta. “I understand that there may have to be a debate, and we will listen to everyone, but we are confident that what we are doing is helping people to live their lives with rights and dignity.”
The university students’ council (KSU) introduced two gender neutral bathrooms on campus last week in a bid to create a safe space for transgender students, with supporters of the initiative citing the pioneering Gender Identity Act introduced last year.
One of the bathrooms, located in Student House, was previously reserved for people with a disability.
Gender-segregated bathrooms have often been a cause of discomfort and harassment for transgender people, particularly those who are still transitioning, as well as non-binary individuals, who do not identify as either male or female.
The announcement, however, was met with a mixed reaction among students, with many saying they were uncomfortable with the notion and citing fears of harassment and hygiene. Several others said they disagreed in principle with people using bathrooms that were not aligned with their biological sex.
Asked for a reaction yesterday, Dr Dalli said the move demonstrated the sort of forward thinking that was to be expected from university students.
“We passed the [gender identity] law specifically to break from past ways of thinking,” she said. “It’s wrong to think that anyone is born with fewer rights because they are transgender. The more we move towards a gender-neutral society, the better. While I understand that some people may be concerned, I would ask: is this taking anything away from you?”
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Persons with Disability (KNPD) said it had received a number of negative comments about the university bathrooms, from people opposed to the idea of disabled and transgender people sharing bathrooms.
KNPD chairman Oliver Scicluna, however, dismissed the criticism. “It is our position that such negative comments reflect discrimination against transgender persons, to which we are opposed,” he said.
Mr Scicluna added that the commission was generally opposed to the segregation of bathroom facilities, whether for people with a disability or for gender minorities. He called for all bathrooms to be made inclusive to all people as part of an effort to bring minorities into the mainstream.