18.10.9
It-tibdiliet li qed isiru fil-Partit Laburista qed iwasslu biex il-Partit jitlef l-identità tradizzjonali tiegħu. Dan sostnewh delegati li tkellmu ma’ din il-gazzetta. Tliet deċiżjonijiet riċenti huma kkunsidrati bħala s-sisien ta’ dan. L-ewwel hi l-wasla ta’ Marisa Micallef (Leyson) u l-involviment tagħha fil-Media Group tal-Partit Laburista. Imbagħad hemm id-deċiżjoni ta’ Joseph Muscat li jagħżel lill-avukat żagħżugħ Edward Zammit Lewis bħala s-Segretarju Ġenerali l-ġdid. U fl-aħħar id-deċiżjoni politika biex il-PL jersaq aktar viċin il-lobby tal-persuni gay. Dawn kollha huma parti mir-riċetta ta’ Muscat biex jirbaħ l-Elezzjoni Ġenerali minkejja li l-ingredjenti jirritaw lill-għeruq ħarxa tal-Partit.
18.10.9 minn Albert Gauci Cunningham
“Fl-aħħar elezzjoni vvutajt PN. Illum ma rrid nassoċja ruħi bl-ebda mod ma’ dak il-partit” – Albert Gauci Cunningham Grupp ta’ żgħażagħ li bħalissa qed jaħdmu minn wara l-kwinti se jkunu qed iħabbru fergħa ġdida u organizzata tal-gays taħt il-kappa tal-Partit Laburista.
Dan il-grupp se jħabbar uffiċjalment il-ħidma tiegħu sal-aħħar ta’ Diċembru li ġej u se jimla vojt li s’issa tħalla fil-kamp politiku hekk kif sal-lum l-ebda partit ma rrikonoxxa uffiċjalment il-persuni LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). Fuq quddiem nett fuq LGBT Labour hemm Albert Gauci Cunningham, għalliem ta’ 26 sena li sa ftit xhur ilu kien iqis lilu nnifsu Nazzjonalist.
“Jien qatt ma kont membru tal-PN imma kont nikteb favur tiegħu bil-kitbiet regolari fit-Times u l-Independent. Fl-aħħar elezzjoni vvutajt lill-Partit Nazzjonalista imma llum ma rrid nassoċja ruħi bl-ebda mod mal-PN,” jistqarr iż-żgħażugħ f’kummenti lil Illum. “Il-prime mover wara LGBT Labour hu l-mexxej tal-PL Joseph Muscat. Kien hu li mar fuq żewġ kollegi tiegħi. Inħossuna komdi naħdmu fil-Partit Laburista. Dan kien l-ewwel partit li qed jitkellem favur id-drittijiet tagħna fil-miftuħ,” ifisser Gauci Cunningham.
Bħalissa eluf ta’ persuni LGBT qed ikunu avviċinati u mitluba jressqu l-ilmenti tagħhom dwar is-settur. Fost dawn anke persuni fil-media li huma gay.
“Nikkonferma li qed inħejju rapport b’opinjonijiet differenti ta’ persuni LGBT. Dan ir-rapport se nressquh quddiem it-tmexxija tal-PL u quddiem il-konferenza ġenerali,” spjega ż-żgħażugħ. “Joseph Muscat kien l-ewwel bniedem li fil-kampanja tal-elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew ħa pożizzjoni ċara favur civil partnership.”
Aktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa l-programm Wiċċ Imb Wiċċ fuq ONE TV tkellem ċar u tond dwar is-sitwazzjoni tal-LGBT f’Malta. F’Malta hu stmat li hawn bejn 25,000 u 40,000 persuna gay. Mitluba tgħid jekk il-Malta Gay Rights Movement jikkunsidrax li jwaqqaf partit politiku għalih, Gabi Calleja, ko-ordinatur tal-moviment qalet li m’hemm l-ebda ħsieb li jsir dan. Mistoqsija liema partit tħoss li hu eqreb id-drittijiet tal-persuni LGBT Calleja ddikjarat li “il-Partit Nazzjonalista ilu ħafna fil-Gvern u ma tantx kien hemm bidliet legali. Kien hemm opportunità u din ma ħaduhiex.”
Hi Patrick,
ReplyDeleteyou have posted the whole article but have refrained from commenting. What do you think about this development?
Will it carry political consequences to favour the LGBT community? Or is it just another gimmick from the PL to attract (new) votes?
Virgil
Hello Virgil,
ReplyDeleteI post all the articles I find related to gay rights to keep an online library. I rarely comment on an article.
Regarding your question, we have 2 options available PN government or MLP government.
- The PN has been in power for a while now and has promised cohabitation rights for over 10 years and nothing happened. Actually it hinders any advancement in gay -rights for example in the case where they refused to include sexual orientation on an industrial law at work.
- Labour had in fact decriminalised homosexuality in 1973 and is much more gay-friendly. They also had friction with the Church in the past and to be frank, the Church is the biggest obstacle in Malta. I think you have to ask them the same question yourself. If labour are interesting in awarding a civil partnership I am interested to see what exact rights are they willing to award us.
Patrick
I agree that Labour are inherently more inclined to adopt LGBT friendly measures. However, I do believe there's a difference between a civil partnership and state marriage?
ReplyDeleteIf these are indeed different, than why should the LGBT community make use of civil partnership instead of state marriage? Why should the community settle for an option that differentiates them from the rest of the population?
A while back when I was listening to an MGRM exectuvie member arguing agaisnt AD's position of civil parternships, she brought up this point. So I am assuming that the same rhetoric applies for Labour too.
Honestly I am in favour of gay (state) marriages and also for gay couples adopting children (and being eligible for foster care too). Anyway I assume that during the conference the LGBT community will make clear its short and long term goals for them in Malta. All I hope is that they do not agree on anything less than what they truly want, irrespective the party.
Virgil