In her reaction to my article, Louisa Grech (October 1) takes umbrage to my conviction that the Malta Gay Rights Movement has overstepped the mark. She then reminds me that we do not live in an era that condones racism, misogyny and hatred for minorities.

I am baffled how these issues have anything to do with what I wrote. This is a perfect case of the ‘strawman argument’ that resorts to distorting what is being discussed and then scoring points by knocking them down.

For good measure, she even accuses those who challenge the LGBTQ agenda of being motivated by hatred – going on to remind us that children are not aliens.

Contrary to her undisguised negative inferences, I made it clear in my article that I endorse the utmost respect for the human dignity of one and all. Besides, I have had the opportunity to live and work in a solely male environment in a remote desert location where needless to say, there were quite a number of men with same-sex orientation.

This had no bearing at all on companionship, socialising and sportsmanship. As always happens in any group, one finds all sorts of characters: the selfish, the generous, the respectful, the offensive… in short, the full spectrum. 

But sexual orientation did not figure at all. So, any subtle accusation that I have any sense of superiority as regards homosexuals does not cut any ice with me.

Also, I fully support laws that outlaw unfair discrimination against homosexuals. Equally, any advances in promoting the welfare of homosexuals are to be embraced and accepted. However, I was, and am, addressing a different issue altogether.

Not so long ago, the proper context for sex as a lifelong commitment between husband and wife went unchallenged.

Conjugal marriage that promoted monogamous bonds between a man and a woman open to having children predated Christianity and was universally recognised as the bedrock of any society. That is why the state privileged such a status.

By undermining this reality, to pander to the ‘gay lobby’, I believe the very concept of marriage has been denatured.

And the consequences, intended or otherwise, of this unjust top-down imposition are staring us in the face.  One need only mention the removal of the terms ‘father’ and ‘mother’ from government documents. Disregarding parental consent, the LGBTQ lobby has also infiltrated educational establishments to expose children to so-called sex education that prematurely sexualises children.

The pretension that same-sex couples should have equal ‘rights’ has resulted in the use of fertility techniques that have denied children the right to be the fruit of both parents and the right to be raised in a complementary environment of a father and mother.

An even worse outcome is that any criticism of these developments is now stifled and branded as hate speech and homophobic.

Overseas, people have lost their jobs and adoption agencies have been closed down for disagreeing with the LGBTQ ideology.

Therefore, I reiterate that the agenda of the powerful LGBTQ lobbies both here and abroad have overstepped the mark and had a negative impact on society.