“The Malta Gay Rights Movement has overstepped the mark and claimed undeserved privileges that impacted the rest of the community”. This was stated by Klaus Vella Bardon in his article ‘Beyond Love’ (September 27).
“Undeserved privileges”? What does that even mean? What are the “undeserved privileges” referred to here?
Are there persons who should be more privileged than others? Or are we still living in the era where being white means superior to black, where a man can lord it over a woman, where minorities can only enjoy “privileges” if they conform to the dictates of what has been falsely decreed as ‘normal’?
Who and what is ‘normal’? Who or what decides that some should enjoy privileges, and some should not?
MGRM was not asking for privileges. It was asking for rights.
When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed in 1948, it was declared as a common standard for all peoples and all nations. (Introduction – Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
One cannot speak of persons of diverse sexuality or gender “deserving full respect for their human dignity” while in the same breath deny them their legal rights because it seems to offend the sensibilities of some.
Respect for human dignity means respecting each and every person, irrespective of their gender, race, religion or colour, to name but a few. No one can restrict or place conditions on the respect for human dignity.
Christopher Vella, coordinator of Drachma, wrote this in an article published in Breaking the Silence – Homosexuality in Maltese History:
“Yet, underpinning this almost understandable reaction, is the fact that people in the mainstream take their ‘privilege’ and entitlement for granted.
Our children are persons who wish to love and to be loved- Louisa Grech
“It is only the underprivileged who can understand the power associated with being a cisgender, white, straight, able-bodied male.
“When the privileged suddenly find themselves ‘losing’ to a minority that starts dictating policy, they feel unfairly disempowered, emasculated and ‘wronged’. This makes them believe in the legitimacy of their crusade against all that is alien, ungodly, and unpatriotic.”
As parents of gender or sexual diverse individuals we speak up on the grounds that it is very disturbing when people, who consider themselves more privileged than others, feel entitled to endanger the mental and physical well-being of our children by sowing seeds of fear, of harsh judgement and, unfortunately, in some cases also of hate.
Fundamental human rights are “the equal and inalienable rights of all the members of the human family”. (Preamble – Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
Our children are not aliens! They are very much human, with a heart and soul that feels when it is loved and when it is not.
They are persons who wish to love and to be loved, persons who are capable of making faithful and long-term commitments in their relationships, their family and their careers.
Our children are a gift and a blessing!
Louisa Grech is coordinator of Drachma Parents.