MaltaToday/Illum: PN agrees to sign gay rights petition

«Ara ftit iktar l-isfel għall-artiklu bil-Malti.»

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2009/05/24/t5.html

24.5.9 by David Darmanin

At a meeting held among five PN candidates for MEP and members of the Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) yesterday afternoon, incumbents Simon Busuttil and David Casa, and candidates Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas, Alan Deidun and Edward Demicoli all agreed to sign a petition endorsing formal recognition of same-sex couples, among other things.
The MGRM is now hoping that all PN candidates sign the petition, as seems to have been promised at yesterday’s meeting.

Until yesterday, the candidates who signed ILGA-Europe’s petition were AD candidates Arnold Cassola and Yvonne Ebejer-Arqueros, Liberal candidate John Zammit, and Labour candidates Sharon Ellul-Bonici, Claudette Abela-Baldacchino, Marlene Mizzi, and Joseph Cuschieri.
For the PN yesterday’s move marks a different direction in its campaign. According to the International Lesbian-Gay Association (ILGA-Europe), PN frontrunner Simon Busuttil has the worst track record on gay-friendly resolutions and reports in the European Parliament.

On seven items listed by ILGA on its website, Busuttil and Casa did not vote in favour of any of the resolutions and reports. Busuttil and Casa abstained on the Lynne report for a new anti-discrimination law to outlaw discrimination outside employment on access to goods and services on grounds of sexual orientation, amongst others.

Busuttil also abstained on the Buitenweg report calling for a law to enforce equal treatment between persons, irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, while Casa was not present for the vote.

In the petition, the MGRM [Correction: ILGA-Europe made the petition] is calling for stricter laws regarding homophobic and trans-phobic violence and bullying; legal protection against discrimination in the delivery of goods and services to homosexuals; an extension in the remit of the National Commission for Protection of Equality to cater for the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression; as well as the inclusion of gender reassignment surgery and hormone therapy for transgender persons as part of the public health services.

Speaking to MaltaToday, MGRM spokesperson Gabi Calleja described the meeting with PN candidates as “fruitful”.

“Although we disagree with the PN on same sex marriage and all the rights that go with it, there were other things we agreed upon,” she said. “We agreed, for example, that transsexuals should not have to go through gender reassignment surgery to change their documents.”

PN MEP Simon Busuttil said the PN will work to combat discrimination against people over their sexual orientation, but there were issues with which the party did not agree with the gay rights movement. Busuttil said the PN was not in favour of same-sex marriages and child adoptions by same-sex couples, but it was ready to discuss issues such as rights for same sex cohabiting couples.

Asked to comment on the PN’s voting patterns in the EP vis-à-vis gay rights, Calleja said that “the PN said that they voted against certain issues on gay rights because they disagreed with details in reports that were behind the vote itself, as these seemed to have carried an impact on family values and implications favouring divorce. Regardless, what we see is the vote – as this is what determines the final result.”

The MGRM has already met up with individual candidates from the PL camp – namely Sharon Ellul Bonici, Claudette Abela Baldacchino and Marlene Mizzi; as well as both Arnold Cassola and Yvonne Aqueiros Ebejer from AD.

Asked whether the MGRM has identified more with a specific party in the run up to the June 6 elections, Calleja said that “although the Socialist camp seems to defend gay rights more than others, it is not the actual party that matters for all we are concerned”.

“Our aim is to get as many candidates as possible to sign the pledge, and this what we are pushing for most,” she said.

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Illum: Forsi pass ’il quddiem għall-MGRM

http://www.illum.com.mt/2009/05/24/t6.html
24.5.9 minn Franica Pulis

Ilbieraħ il-Moviment Malti għad-Drittijiet tal-Gays (MGRM) iltaqa’ ma’ għadd ta’ kandidati għall-Elezzjonijiet Ewropej fosthom Simon Busuttil u David Casa. Fl-2007 iż-żewġ Membri Parlamentari ma kinux iffirmaw ir-Riżoluzzjoni dwar l-Omofobija fl-Ewropa li kienet tikkundanna diskriminazzjoni jew moħqrija ta’ omosesswali.

Waqt il-laqgħa l-MGRM staqsiet lill-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej tal-PN għaliex kienu vvutaw kontra jew astjenew f’dan il-każ. Huma wieġbu li dan ġara minħabba li fir-riżoluzzjonijiet kien hemm frażijiet ta’ kundanna ta’ pajjiżi partikulari jew kontra l-Papa. L-MGRM, filwaqt li fehmet dawn ir-raġunijiet, qalet li l-aktar li jibqa’ jinteressaha hu l-vot finali.

Waqt il-laqgħa kien hemm preżenti wkoll Roberta Metsola Tedesco Triccas, Alan Deidun u Edward Demicoli, li flimkien ma’ Busuttil u Casa, qablu li jiffirmaw il-petizzjoni tal-MGRM [Korrezzjoni: Il-Petizzjoni hi ta' l-ILGA Europe] li tiġbor fiha anki l-għarfien ta’ koppji tal-istess sess. L-MGRM qed jittamaw li l-bqija tal-kandidati Nazzjonalisti jiffirmaw il-petizzjoni bħalma twiegħed ilbieraħ.

Mill-partiti l-oħrajn diġà ffirmaw il-petizzjoni erba’ kandidati Laburisti, iż-żewġ kandidati tal-AD u John Zammit mill-Alleanza Liberali Demokratika Malta.

Il-petizzjoni, li saret speċifikament biex tittratta kwistjonijiet Ewroparlamentari, qed titlob li jkun hemm aktar liġijiet stretti dwar vjolenza omofobika u transfobika u bullying; protezzjoni legali meta ma jingħatawx servizzi jew oġġetti b’diskriminazzjoni lill-omosesswali; estensjoni tal-kompetenza tal-Kummissjoni Nazzjonali għall-Ugwaljanza biex tibda taħdem ukoll fuq orjentazzjoni sesswali, identità u espressjoni ta’ ġens kif ukoll taħdem biex is-servizzi tas-saħħa pubblika jinkludu wkoll interventi kirurġiċi biex jinbidel is-sess u t-terapija tal-ormoni għal nies li huma transgender.

Gabi Calleja, il-koordinatur tal-MGM, iddeskriviet il-laqgħa mal-kandidati tal-PN bħala waħda li “tħalli l-frott”.

“Għalkemm ma naqblux mal-PN dwar żwieġ bejn l-istess sessi u d-drittijiet kollha marbutin miegħu, kien hemm affarijiet oħrajn li qbilna magħhom. Pereżempju qbilna dwar il-fatt li t-transesswali m’għandhomx għalfejn jgħaddu minn operazzjonijiet biex ibiddlu s-sess tagħhom biex jinbidlulhom id-dokumenti,” spjegat Calleja.

Mistoqsija jekk il-Moviment jidentifikax ruħu aktar ma’ xi partit partikulari minnhom għall-elezzjonijiet li ġejjin, Calleja tenniet li “minkejja l-kamp Soċjalista donnu jiddefendi aktar id-drittijiet tal-gays aktar mill-oħrajn, għalina mhux il-partit jgħodd. L-għan tagħna hu li nippruvaw nilħqu kemm jista’ jkun kandidati biex jiffirmaw il-petizzjoni u dan hu li qed naħdmu għalih l-aktar.”

L-MGRM diġà ltaqgħet b’mod individwali mal-kandidati tal-PL Sharon Ellul Bonici, Claudette Abela Baldacchino u Marlene Mizzi; u mal-kandidati tal-AD Arnold Cassola u Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer.