LGBTIQ people living in fear of discrimination have no reason to hide in the shadows and are loved and accepted in Malta, Prime Minister told Europride attendees on Thursday.
He was speaking during the opening of the second day of the LGBTIQ Human Rights Conference, where he said he was looking forward to joining the community during the pride march scheduled for Saturday.
“To all those who are still living in the shadows, afraid of being true to who they are, afraid of discrimination and hate. We are a country of acceptance and we are a country that wants you to be true to yourself and live freely,” he said.
“There is space for you, no keyboard warrior or hate speech should stop you from living your truth.”
Abela said that Malta will continue to work at the top of the ILGA Europe Rainbow Index, noting that it is important to do the utmost to conserve human rights in an international context where foreign countries are rolling back their civil liberties.
Conference attendees. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier“We are a nation that is moving forward in the advancement of civil liberties, but this should be the case for all. To see countries backtrack on legislation is worrying for us as representatives of the people. It reminds us of where we do not want to go, and to never take anything for granted,” he said.
“There have been legislative successes in Malta, but these do not suffice. These small and greater successes are a reminder to legislate in favour of the LGBTIQ+ community because you are not forgotten, you are not cast aside, and you are not to be discriminated against.”
LGBTIQ asylum requests are being processed fairly - Abela
Asked during question time why Malta continues to list countries that are hostile to the queer community and have legislation that criminalises being LGBTIQ, as being safe for asylum seekers, Abela said that whether a country is declared safe or not, in terms of evalutation, asylum sticks to strict parameters of the law.
Activists and academics who spoke during the conference on Wednesday described the immense difficulties queer asylum seekers face when attempting to flee a state due to persecution.
Without humanitarian programmes or access to information or legal representation, people who are genuinely entitled to asylum due to the discrimination they face for their gender identity or sexual orientation are being denied this because they do not know how to navigate the system, they said.
“Every country that is declared safe in terms of evaluating asylum and protection is analysed according to the strict parameters of the law,” Abela said.
“Every person that merits protection or asylum in our country is given protection. There are also cases where applicants do not merit protection and so their application is rejected.”
“But I guarantee that every application is being processed within the parameters of the law with a sense of fairness and justice.”
Absence of knowledge creates room for hatred to fester - Helena Dalli
European Commissioner Helena Dalli said that as opponents of equality speak louder and become increasingly successful at rolling back rights and causing destruction, it is critically important to pay attention to the most vulnerable in the community, particularly trans, non-binary and intersex people.
“To those who spread panic about trans rights and visibility, I say trans women are women and trans men are men, at the workplace, on the street, in public places, in sports and everywhere else,” she said.
“No child has ever been protected through the absence of knowledge of by being denied contact with LGBTIQ people. Such actions only create space for homophobia and transphobia to fester.”
It is critical, she said, to continue insisting on the implementation of age-appropriate education on sexuality and gender to help children free themselves from stereotypes.
“We must challenge discrimination, be it structural or otherwise and both within and beyond our borders,” Dalli added. “We have to make sure that nobody is left behind.”