Since I last blogged to commend the three EP election candidates who had, until then, endorsed the European gay lobby's ten-point pledge, the number of aspirant MEPs to stand up to be counted has more than doubled.
The number of potential MEPs who have officially declared that, if elected, they will promote equality and combat discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression is now up to seven.
Three cheers to Alternattiva Demokratika's Yvonne Ebejer-Arqueros as well as to Labour's Claudette Abela-Baldacchino, Marlene Mizzi and Joseph Cuschieri. They join Labour's Sharon Ellul-Bonici, Alleanza Liberali's John Zammit and Alternattiva Demokratika's Arnold Cassola.
Ironically, none of the incumbent MEPs have (yet) signed the pledge, and I encourage them to follow their colleagues' footsteps.
Conspicuous by their absence on the list of signatories, apart from the miniscule right-wing groupings, are candidates fielded by the Nationalist Party. I wonder whether the construction of an inclusive, non-discriminatory society seems too much of a European idea for their tastes.
The updated list of signatories of ILGA-Europe's ten-point pledge: http://www.ilga-europe.org/europe/campaigns_projects/ep2009/map/malta
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