I always voted PN. I always went carcading waving the flags with pride, feeling an adrenaline rush for supporting the party I truly believed in. Why am I terrified of GonziPN?
Malta overhauled its labour law in 2002. The new Employment And Industrial Relations Act introduced provisions against discrimination at work covering a number of factors such as, gender, religion and race. Lawrence Gonzi, then Minister for Social Policy, refused to insert the last one covered by an EU Directive on discrimination in employment: sexual orientation. He refused to protect gays at work. It was only after the EU Commission was alerted, that Gonzi was forced to implement this important section in the law.
What does this mean?
A very good Italian friend of mine is a brilliant doctor specialised in emergency medicine. He is the type of doctor who will try to save your life after a terrible car accident. He is gay. His parents took a large number of years to accept it and he still suffers from severe depression. He can sleep only a few hours a day, and at times he thinks of committing suicide. Is Lawrence Gonzi afraid of protecting the job of a man like this?
An other friend of mine is a German engineer. He is gay. We worked together at Mercedes-Benz. He specialises in the car safety systems. He makes sure that in case of a severe car accident, the car crumples in such a way that the doors can still be opened easily, thus reducing the rescue time, and people’s lives. Is Lawrence Gonzi afraid of protecting the job of such a man too?
What are you afraid of? If you don’t want gays and lesbians in the Catholic Action (Azzjoni Kattolika) of which you were the leader, it’s up to you, but not taking a stand on these critical employment issues, is an outrageous and unworthy of someone who describes himself as leader.
Why is it that Lawrence Gonzi refused to consider giving the right to urgent family leave to gays whose partner is, for example, severely ill in hospital? Isn’t this cruelty? Shouldn’t society help you when you are most in need so you can recuperate quickly and be productive again instead of having to suffer the anxiety of having an ill partner without benefiting from that support that is so readily extended to straight couples by this state? Isn’t this a severe mental trauma at the most difficult time in life?
Why is it that David Casa and Simon Busuttil object to motions in the EU parliament condemning the killing of gays?
Why are young gays committing suicide in this country? Why are gays exiling themselves from this country? What is so bad about being gay?
Do you really believe the PN will give gays any rights? They have been promising a law on cohabitation since 1998. Look what’s been done!
We are drowning in hypocrisy.
Let’s put a halt to all this.
Vote 1 Alternattika Demokratika.
Dr. Ing. Patrick Attard
This post reminds me of Alan Turing. If someone discovered he was gay some years before he actually was, there might be no blog to read right now because computer development would have been set back by years, at least. As you might know, that story ended tragically, with Turing ending his life.
ReplyDeleteThat said, it was of over 50 years ago when this happened in the UK, and things have improved there. It's shameful that things remain the same here.
It seems to me disturbing that the rights of whole groups of people are significantly ignored, rights which in no way hinder those of others. The marginalisation of gay people should not be merely considered to be an issue for gay voters, for we can only be assured that our rights are respected by those who respect the rights of all.
John
As an animal rights activist, it goes of course without saying that I fully support gay rights issues. Humans are animals so human rights are animal rights.
ReplyDeleteI wish you luck on the election.
I fully agree with you. I felt saddened that the PN MEPs voted against that motion in the EU parliament. Makes you wonder where all the talk of equality and human rights and decency is when you need the hard facts!
ReplyDeleteWorking on equality issues on a daily basis i cannot but support your work and commitment to make Malta a more equal and fair society.
Thanks for putting another area of equality on the agenda. I hope that society becomes more aware of the importance of safeguarding all people's rights, and hopefully it will not take another 50 years to achieve, though sadly, progress seems slow in Malta!!!
Mend your ways or you will end up in hell
ReplyDeleteWell said Patrick. And don't take any notice of paid-pens and people who resort to lies and deceit to defend PN at all costs (e.g. pathetic mercenary DCG of 'fuck off dude' hammalagni fame)...
ReplyDeleteGħażiż Patrick Attard,
ReplyDeleteNibda' biex nifraħlek tal-mod kif ħriġt fil-pubbliku. Pero, nħossni xettiku ħafna fuq l-ideoloġija li issa se joħroġ biha l-Alternativa Demokratika. Mingħajr dubju dan il-partit huwa partit li jħobb l-ambjent kif filfatt juri biċ-ċar fil-logo tiegħu.
Malta, bħal bqija tad-dinja kollha, m'hi qatt ser ikollha partit favur l-omosesswali biss u għalekk nissuġġerixxi illi tieħu vantaġġ mill-gvern u turi awareness qawwija sabiex tider fil-media 'l quddiem. Huwa xogħol moħli jekk tibqa' toħroġ bħala kandidat ma' partit li diġa' huwa fil-minoranza, aħseb u ara kemm il-liġijiet favur l-omosesswali sejrin jitranġaw.
Huwa sens komun illi r-raġuni li l-gays m'għandhomx jivvutaw għal Parit Nazzjonalista hija li dan il-partit ma joffriex bidla għal gay rights.
Allura qed noħodha for granted li lanqas it-tieni l-akbar partit i.e. il-Partit Laburista ma joffriehom. Kif m'hemm xejn li jsostni dan fil-blog tiegħek ukoll?
Dan il-ħsieb iwassalni f'mistoqsija oħra. Huwa minnu li trid tbiddel id-drittijiet favur l-omosesswali jew qiegħed tuża' l-AD, partit li jqarreb lejn dak xellugi li kieku kellha ssir koalizzjoni, sabiex tattakka l-Partit Nazzjonalista?
Maltavision:
ReplyDeleteIl-partit Laburista semma gays f'p.20 tad-dokument tal-familja ta' l-2007 imma il-ftit sentenzi li kien hemm kienu ambigwi u jien ma fhimthomx.
L-Alternattiva hi l-uniku partit sekulari li anki kien favur id-divorzju u Dr. Harry Vassallo bhala kap tal-partit ta Speech fil-Malta Gay Pride March ta'l-2007. (see: Gays and Kenneth Zammit Tabona, 26 Feb. 2008)