Times: Bishop not afraid to proclaim Catholic beliefs (1 & 2)

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101107/cartoons-of-the-day/nalizpelra

7.11.2010

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101121/letters/bishop-not-afraid-to-proclaim-catholic-beliefs-1

Sunday, 21st November 2010 by Lawrence Zammit, St Venera

I would like to express my utter disgust at the cartoon carried in The Sunday Times on November 7, which depicted Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo in an unbecoming manner.

I admire Mgr Grech, who is one of the few who are not afraid to proclaim the Catholic Church's values. Unfortunately the media try to ridicule those who profess their Christian beliefs.

Today many try to compromise on the Church's teaching in order to accommodate 'modern' sexual behaviour. However, there is nothing modern about lust, since this has always been with us.

Catholic schools in Malta must not only concentrate on the academic aspect of education but also impart Catholic values to their students. This mission should become more evident as our nation becomes more secular.

In his homily during Mass for the consecration of the Sagrada Familia basilica in Barcelona, the Pope said that "one of the most important tasks today is to overcome the split between human conscience and Christian conscience, between existence in this temporal world and openness to an eternal life, between the beauty of things and God as Beauty".

This message holds true not only for Spain but also for post-Catholic Malta.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101121/letters/bishop-not-afraid-to-proclaim-catholic-beliefs-2
Sunday, 21st November 2010 by Carmel Camilleri, Kerċem

I found the caricature of our spiritual leader Bishop Mario Grech published in The Sunday Times of November 7 deeply offensive, and I am sure the majority of Catholics in this country did too.

Does your paper no longer uphold moral values, as it did in the past? I never expected The Sunday Times to stoop so low , and attack our spritual leader in that manner. This was an insult to your readers.

Our spiritual leaders are there to show us how to carry out Christ's teachings. Christ's 'programme', unlike that of political parties, never changes.

Nobody is forced to follow it, but then those who do should not be ridiculed or marginalised.

I urge all Maltese and Gozitans who have the Church of Christ at heart not to succumb to the pressures of today's consumerist, secularised society. Our spiritual leaders should be supported, not ridiculed.

Editor's note: A cartoon is comment by the individual cartoonist, not by the newspaper.

[Click on the hyperlinks above to view the comments on the Times' website.]

Times: It’s OK to be anyone

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101121/local/it-s-ok-to-be-anyone
Sunday, 21st November 2010

Nationalist whip David Agius was yesterday seen standing behind a sign reading: ‘I’m voting Labour’, though he was participating in an event organised by the youth section of the PN aimed at challenging discrimination and intolerance.

Wooden silhouettes of people were placed at City Gate, Valletta, each representing different types of people: straight, gay, Muslim, Christian, white, black, Labour and Nationalist.

Personalities like presenters Peppi Azzopardi and Fr Colin Apap and MP Karl Gouder took part in the interactive installation which was set up as part of a campaign entitled ‘It’s OK to be you’.
Speaking to the press during the event, Mr Azzopardi and Fr Apap said cultural diversity should not simply be accepted or tolerated, but celebrated.

“Whatever background you come from, whatever your political or religious belief and whatever your sexual orientation may be, we believe your voice is just as important as everyone else’s,” the organisers wrote in flyers distributed to passers-by.

[Click on the hyperlink above to read the comments on the Times website and click here to watch the video and read more comments.]

L-Orizzont: Iriduh ixejjer il-"bandiera tal-qawsalla"

http://www.l-orizzont.com/news.asp?newsitemid=67886

Fil-logħba tal-Kroazja kontra Malta…

17.11.2010

Gruppi li jaħdmu favur id-drittijiet ta' persuni LGBT qegħdin jinsistu mal-President tal-Federazzjoni tal-Fut­bol tal-Kroazja biex fil-logħba ta' kwalifikazzjoni għall-Euro 2012 bejn il-Kroazja u Malta, li se tintlagħab illum, l-Erbgħa, ixejjer il-'ban­die­ra tal-qawsalla' bħala sinjal li tassew iddispjaċih għar-rimarki dispreġjattivi li għadda fil-konfront ta' persuni 'gay'. Vlatko Markovic (ritratt) qanqal ferment sħiħ meta waqt intervisti li ta lill-ġurnal ta' kul­jum "Vacernji list" u lill-gaz­zetta tal-Ħadd, "Vecernje no­vosti", hu ddikjara: "Sa­kemm nibqa' jien president (tal-federazzjoni tal-futbol) ma jkun hemm l-ebda plejer 'gay'. Għall-grazzja t'Alla per­suni sani biss jilagħbu l-futbol." Għaqdiet li jaħdmu għall-ħarsien u t-tisħiħ tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem madwar l-Ewropa, fuq quddiem nett gruppi 'gay' u liżbjani, saħ­qu mal-awtoritajiet sportivi li għandhom jieħdu azzjoni dixxiplinarja fil-konfront tal-President tal-Federazzjoni tal-Futbol tal-Kroazja Mar­kovic għall-kummenti tie­għu li plejers 'gay' m'għand­homx jitħallew jilagħbu għal pajjiżhom. Il-kummenti magħmulin minn Markovic ikkonfermaw il-fatt li l-omofobija għad­ha ssib art għammiela fil-qasam sportiv. L-Euro­pean Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF), li tirrapp­reżenta 17,000 persuna, kemm irġiel kif ukoll nisa, li huma attivi f'xi qasam jew ieħor ta' sports, qiegħda tmexxi l-appell biex tittie­ħed azzjoni legali kontra Mar­kovic, waqt li sejħet lill-UEFA biex tagħti bidu għal proċeduri dixxiplinari kontrih. L-Ewro-Parlamentari Awstrijakk Ulrike Lunacek, li huwa membru tal-grupp tal-Ħodor u parteċipant attiv fil-Gay Games, wissa li jekk il-Gvern Kroat jonqos milli jieħu azzjoni kontra Markovic, allura d-dikjarazzjonijiet li għamel jistgħu jaffettwaw l-applikazzjoni ta' pajjiżu biex tissieħeb fl-Unjoni Ewropea. Dan billi waħda mill-kundizzjonijiet hija li l-Kroazja għandha timplimenta leġiżlazzjoni kontra d-diskriminazzjoni. Quddiem dan kollu, Vlatko Markovic, li għandu 73 sena u bħalissa għaddej b'kampanja biex ikun elett għar-raba' darba bħala l-pre­sident tal-federazzjoni tal-futbol f'pajjiżu, skuża ruħu u insista li kien miftiehem ħażin. Għal din id-dikjarazzjoni, il-gruppi Kroati għad-drittijiet tal-persuni 'gay', Kontra u Iskorak saħqu li jekk tassew irid juri s-sinċerità tad-dis­pjaċir tiegħu għal dak li qal, Markovic għandu jxejjer il-'bandiera tal-qawsalla' waqt il-logħba li l-Kroazja se tilgħab kontra Malta illum l-Erbgħa, fil-kwalifikazzjoni­jiet għall-Euro 2012. Ir-rimarki ta' Vlatko Markovic kienu segwiti b'appell li sar mill-plejer Ġermaniż ta' Bayern Munich, Mario Go­mez, li qal li l-plejers 'gay' għandhom jagħmlu kuraġġ u jiddikjaraw l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħhom. Hu qal li meta jagħmlu dan, huma jħossuhom bħallikieku ġew illiberati waqt li kompla jgħid li wasal iż-żmien li wieħed ma jibqax jittratta l-omosesswa­lità bħala "suġ­ġett taboo". Anke l-kummenti ta' Mar­io Gomez qanqlu diskussjoni sħiħa għax kien hemm min wissa li f'każ ta' plejers attivi, dikjarazzjoni dwar l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħ­hom tista' toħloqilhom press­joni kbira fuqhom. Il-President tal-Federazzjo­ni tal-Futbol Ġermaniża, Theo Zwanziger, li kien ġie mfaħħar ħafna meta qal li kien lest li jisma' u jgħin lil dawk il-plejers gay li jridu jiddikjaraw pubblikament l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħ­hom, esprima l-iskantament tiegħu li l-futbol professjo­nali għadu wieħed mill-ftit oqsma fil-ħajja pubblika fejn l-omosesswalità għadha meqjusa bħala 'taboo'. "Fil-politika, l-arti u l-kultura m'għadhiex aktar problema iżda fil-futbol professjonali jidher li għadha," huwa qal. L-esperta tal-midja Ġerma­niża, Tatjana Eggeling qalet waqt il-programm televiżiv ZDF Sportstudio li "xi plejers 'gay' fil-Ġermanja u anke fl-Italja saħansitra jirranġaw żwiġijiet foloz" f'at­tentat li jaħbu l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħhom. Ta' min jgħid li l-eks-kap tal-federazzjoni tal-futbol Aw­strijakka, Otto Baric, kien immultat mill-UEFA wara li fis-sena 2004 kien qal: "Naf li m'hemm l-ebda omosesswali fit-tim tiegħi. Kapaċi ninduna b'persuna 'gay' f'in­qas minn għaxar minuti, u lil dawn ma rridhomx fit-tim tiegħi."

Guardian: Croatia football chief Vlatko Markovic hit by gay group's backlash

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/14/gay-backlash-croatia-football-chief

Uefa urged to take action over Vlatko Markovic's claim that there is no room for gay players in the game

Kate Connolly in Berlin, The Observer, Sunday 14 November 2010

Vlatko Markovic, head of the Croatian football federation, attends a news conference to apologise for anti-gay remarks he made in an interview. Photograph: Darko Bandic/AP

Gay and lesbian groups across Europe have called on sporting authorities to take disciplinary action against the head of Croatia's football federation after he said gay players would be banned from playing for the country.

Vlatko Markovic served to emphasise the extent to which homophobia is still rife in the sport after saying that "only healthy people play football" and adding that there was no room for gay men in the sport. The European Gay and Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF), which represents 17,000 active sportsmen and women, is leading the calls for legal action to be taken against Markovic and calling on Uefa, the governing body of football in Europe, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. Uefa says it has not yet opened an investigation.

Ulrike Lunacek, the Austrian Green MEP and active participant in the Gay Games, warned that if the Croatian government failed to take action against Markovic his outburst could affect its application to join the European Union. One of the conditions is that the country implements EU-standard anti-discrimination legislation.

Markovic told both the Croatian daily Vecernji list and the Serbian tabloid Vecernje novosti: "As long as I'm president [of the football federation] there will be no gay players. Thank goodness only healthy people play football."

The 73-year-old, who is campaigning for a fourth term as federation president, later said he had been misunderstood and apologised. The Croatian gay rights groups Kontra and Iskorak have called for Markovic to prove the sincerity of his remorse by raising the rainbow flag, a symbol of gay rights, during Croatia's Euro 2012 qualifier against Malta this Wednesday. Markovic's remarks were followed by an appeal from a leading German player for gay players to muster the courage to come out. Mario Gomez, 25, the Bayern Munich striker, said it was time to stop treating homosexuality as a "taboo topic", adding that if players felt they could come out, they would "play as though they had been liberated".

His comments caused a stir: they went against the grain of anything any other leading player had said on the topic, with most warning that an outing would put too much pressure on a player active in what, despite the large rise in female spectators in recent years, remains a predominantly macho sport.

Theo Zwanziger, the head of Germany's football federation, who has been commended for his appeal to gay players to approach him if they want to come out, has voiced his surprise that professional football remains one of the few areas of public life where homosexuality is taboo. "In politics, art and culture it is no longer a problem but professional football appears to be more set in its ways," he said. Some gay players particularly in Germany and Italy, even arrange fake marriages, German media expert Tatjana Eggeling told the TV programme ZDF Sportstudio.

Although experts estimate that around 10% of footballers are gay, hardly any have come out. It is 20 years since Justin Fashanu became the only prominent British footballer active in the sport to do so. Fashanu, who killed himself in 1998 after being accused of sexual assault, recalled how his life had been made unbearable by repeated taunts of "bloody poof" from the late Brian Clough, his manager at Nottingham Forest, who banned him from training with the team after his homosexuality was revealed.

Austria's former football federation chief, Otto Baric, was fined by Uefa after saying in 2004: "I know that there's no homosexual in my team. I'd recognise a gay man within 10 minutes and I don't want to have them in my team."

The former managing director of the Italian club Juventus, Luciano Moggi, is on record as saying: "A homosexual can't fulfil the job of a footballer. I wouldn't put one under contract and if I discovered I had one, he would fly immediately."

BBC News: Pope Benedict on the use of condoms: book excerpt

Pope Benedict has suggested that the use of condoms could be justified in some exceptional circumstances.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11804798

20 November 2010 Last updated at 22:51 GMT

Share this page

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Share
• Email
• Print

Continue reading the main storyIn the book, the Pope condones the use of condoms in exceptional cases, to prevent the spread of HIV

Related stories

• 'Condoms OK in some cases' - Pope
• Will Pope's condom comments change the Catholic Church?
• Pope's condom stance sparks row

His comments came in a series of interviews given to a German Catholic journalist, Peter Seewald, which are published in a question and answer format in a book to be launched on Tuesday.

Here is an extract of the book - entitled Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times - in which the Pope refers to the use of condoms in preventing the spread of Aids:

Peter Seewald: On the occasion of your trip to Africa in March 2009, the Vatican's policy on Aids once again became the target of media criticism. Twenty-five percent of all Aids victims around the world today are treated in Catholic facilities. In some countries, such as Lesotho, for example, the statistic is 40 percent. In Africa you stated that the Church's traditional teaching has proven to be the only sure way to stop the spread of HIV. Critics, including critics from the Church's own ranks, object that it is madness to forbid a high-risk population to use condoms.

Pope Benedict: The media coverage completely ignored the rest of the trip to Africa on account of a single statement. Someone had asked me why the Catholic Church adopts an unrealistic and ineffective position on Aids. At that point, I really felt that I was being provoked, because the Church does more than anyone else. And I stand by that claim.

Because she is the only institution that assists people up close and concretely, with prevention, education, help, counsel, and accompaniment. And because she is second to none in treating so many Aids victims, especially children with Aids.

I had the chance to visit one of these wards and to speak with the patients. That was the real answer: The Church does more than anyone else, because she does not speak from the tribunal of the newspapers, but helps her brothers and sisters where they are actually suffering.

In my remarks I was not making a general statement about the condom issue, but merely said, and this is what caused such great offense, that we cannot solve the problem by distributing condoms. Much more needs to be done. We must stand close to the people, we must guide and help them; and we must do this both before and after they contract the disease.

As a matter of fact, you know, people can get condoms when they want them anyway. But this just goes to show that condoms alone do not resolve the question itself. More needs to happen. Meanwhile, the secular realm itself has developed the so-called ABC Theory: Abstinence-Be Faithful-Condom, where the condom is understood only as a last resort, when the other two points fail to work.

This means that the sheer fixation on the condom implies a banalization of sexuality, which, after all, is precisely the dangerous source of the attitude of no longer seeing sexuality as the expression of love, but only a sort of drug that people administer to themselves. This is why the fight against the banalization of sexuality is also a part of the struggle to ensure that sexuality is treated as a positive value and to enable it to have a positive effect on the whole of man's being.

There may be a basis in the case of some individuals, as perhaps when a male prostitute uses a condom, where this can be a first step in the direction of a moralization, a first assumption of responsibility, on the way toward recovering an awareness that not everything is allowed and that one cannot do whatever one wants. But it is not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection.

That can really lie only in a humanization of sexuality.

Peter Seewald: Are you saying, then, that the Catholic Church is actually not opposed in principle to the use of condoms?

Pope Benedict: She of course does not regard it as a real or moral solution, but, in this or that case, there can be nonetheless, in the intention of reducing the risk of infection, a first step in a movement toward a different way, a more human way, of living sexuality.

Light of the World is to be published in English on Tuesday and available for general release from Wednesday. To order a copy of the book, or for more information, please contact the Catholic Truth Society.

Advocate: Gay Kiss-in Welcomes Pope

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/11/07/Gay_Kiss-in_Welcomes_Pope/
7.11.10

An estimated 200 gays and lesbians staged a protest with a five-minute-long "kiss-in" in Barcelona as Pope Benedict XVI visited the city to defend the Catholic Church's family values, reports Sky News.

The kiss-in took place as the popemobile drove past a crowd estimated at tens of thousands who had gathered in front of Barcelona's Sagrada Familia church. The pontiff attacked Spanish laws that allow same-sex marriage, quick divorces, and legal abortions as he dedicated the iconic basilica.

"We are here to demonstrate against the pope's visit and call for a change in the mentality of the Catholic institution, which still opposes our right to different ways of loving," said protester Sergi Diaz.

Pope Benedict called for Europe as a whole to rediscover Christian teachings and apply them to everyday life, and continued to criticize the policies of Spain's socialist government.

See additional photos on the following pages.

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on Advocate.com]

Watch video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grEkt2F8Q94

Times: Life, love and a bit of humour

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101109/opinion/life-love-and-a-bit-of-humour
Tuesday, 9th November 2010 by Kenneth Zammit Tabona

I am convinced God must have a pretty thick skin and a huge sense of humour to put up with us. He must also have given up making much sense of his official representatives on earth.

The Catholic Church has declared unilaterally that condoms are not to be used under pain of mortal sin. [Article in English]. Nobody gives a tinker's about it and the sale of condoms could not be brisker and healthier. However, it could be better as Malta has the highest per capita teenage pregnancy rate, which speaks volumes about the efficaciousness of the type of morality preached from the pulpits today. Therefore, while in time-honoured fashion the Gozo Bishop thunders about the immorality of condom use, the health authorities are in total dismay as it is they and not Bishop Mario Grech who will have to pick up the pieces. It is the families of the teenage pregnant girls who will have to face and ride out the trauma of an unwanted pregnancy and eventually the child, from the womb, will be stigmatised for the rest of its life. Had they only used a condom!

Nowadays, whenever the clergy make declarations it is as if they have woken up from a long deep slumber. It is as if they have failed to notice dwindling statistics where marriages are concerned in relation to the amount of babies they christen. They are under the impression that by prohibiting the sale of condoms on the University campus they are combating what they perceive to be immorality and licentiousness.

The clergy's attitude to the prevalent discussions about divorce, for instance, is tantamount to wishing to shut the stable door after the horses have bolted for, in reality, so many couples today are eschewing marriage both as a sacrament and as a civil union that, eventually, even divorce itself will become obsolete. The introduction of divorce, in fact, is not going to have one iota of effect on the institution of marriage whether religious or civil for, as time goes on and life becomes more complicated and more expensive, there will be an increasing number of people who will opt to stay single and women who will determine who and when they should sleep with a man with the object of carrying his baby without the shackles of a marriage to curtail the career they have fought tooth and nail to achieve.

Attitudes are changing so rapidly that both state and Church seem to be living on Cloud Cuckooland. The irony of it all is that the gay community is battling to have same-sex marriage, which is being put in the same basket as abortion by the Catholic apologists who, for misplaced public relations reasons, deliberately muddle lettuce with flatulence in an attempt to demonise a same-sex relationship for those people who have not got a clue about what being gay means. The government, on the other hand, thinks it will be able to solve the problem by introducing across the board cohabitation laws that will regulate all the irregularities that surround us and, in the process, give gay people the opportunity of vaguely legalising their situation without formalising it by a civil marriage or civil partnership with the same rights as any married couple. In doing so, the government is creating two classes of marriage and, hence, second-class citizens, which, in this day and age, when even apartheid had been thrown out of the window, is unacceptable.

It is now patently obvious that Lawrence Gonzi by temperament, belief and upbringing is unable to bring himself to discuss, let alone legislate, any social law that goes against the precepts of the Catholic Church. As we have seen time and again, he has baulked at the very idea of taking a mature and informed decision about divorce, preferring to shove the responsibility of the electorate in an expensive and highly undemocratic referendum. As for same-sex marriage and IVF and abortion, these are still taboo.

As may be seen, we cannot expect any of our politicos to act like José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and get on with social legislation, EU or no EU, because they just do not have the guts to do what is right and will insist they will not legislate on divorce in order to strengthen the institution of marriage when this institution is on its last leg.

The realities of today's world are not based on whom you or I sleep with but on the terrible threats and evils that surround us. Nuclear war, terrorism and genocide far outweigh the peccadilloes we are made to feel guilty about day in day out by a Church that seems to be missing the big picture.

This prurient obsession with all matters sexual should be replaced with preaching about how wrong it is to kill, how wrong it is to maim, how wrong it is to steal, how wrong it is to gossip, how wrong it is to condemn, how wrong it is to bully, how wrong it is to boast, how wrong it is to be bigoted, how wrong it is to be racist, how wrong it is to be parsimonious with our love and respect for others, how wrong it is to think that God will judge you according to your adherence to the letter of the law and not about whether there is love in your heart for without love, as St Paul says, everything else is completely useless and futile.

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]

L-Orizzont: L-MGRM attiva fl-ILGA-Europe

[Dan l-artiklu mhux fuq is-sit ta' L-Orizzont s'issa.]
Il-Ġimgha - 5 ta' Novembru, 2010; Pagna 11
Minn SAMMY SAMMUT

Erba' membri mill-Kumitat Ċentrali tal-Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) fil-jiem li għaddew attendew u ħadu sehem attiv fl-Erbatax-il Konferenza Annwali tal-fergħa Ewropea tal-International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) li saret f'The Hague, l-Olanda, bil-koperazzjoni ta' COC Haaglanden.

Għal din l-akbar avveniment fejn ikunu diskussi u sostnuti d-drittijiet ta' persuni LGBTI fl-Ewropa, attendew aktar minn 260 attivisti liżbjani, gay, transesswali u intersesswali Ewropej flimkien ma' politikanti nazzjonali u rappreżentanti minn organizzazzjonijiet oħrajn minn 37 pajjiż mxerrdin mal-kontinent kollu Ewropew.
"Nesprimu d-differenzi tagħna, Nisfidaw il-preġudizji tagħna, Niżviluppaw l-alleanzi tagħna" kienet it-tema ġenerali tal-konferenza li ġiet diskussa flimkien ma' kwistjonijiet oħrajn partikolari mid-delegati kollha miġburin flimkien kif ukoll f'workshops u minn gruppi ta' esperti.

Fost oħrajn, id-delegati tal-konferenza approvaw riżoluzzjoni li permezz tagħha esprimew it-tħassib tagħhom għall-qawmien tal-estremiżmu fl-Ewropa, waqt li ħaġġew lil ILGA-Europe, inklużi wkoll l-għaqdiet membri, biex jagħtu l-appoġġ sħiħ tagħhom għat-trażżin tal-estremiżmu f'kull forma tiegħu.

Mozzjoni oħra approvata tinkoraġġixxi lill-organizzazzjonijiet membri fi ħdan ILGA-Europe biex iħaddnu u jinkoraġġixxu d-diversità fi ħdan il-komunitajiet LGBTI. Permezz ta' dikjarazzjoni li adottat, il-Konferenza kkundannat bl-akbar qawwa l-attakk li kien għadu kemm twettaq kontra attivisti LGBTI f'Tomsk, ir-Russja, waqt li esprimiet l-akbar solidarjetà mal-istess attivisti u sejħet għal tolleranza akbar lejn l-attivisti LGBTI Russi li qegħdin jaħdmu favur il-ħarsien tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem fir-Russja.

Ta' interess partikolari għal Malta kien il-fatt li fost il-membri l-ġodda eletti biex iservu fuq il-Bord Eżekuttiv ta' ILGA-Europe kien hemm il-kordinatur tal-MGRM, Gabi Calleja, waqt li Ruth Baldacchino reġgħet kienet eletta bħala waħda miż-żewġ rappreżentanti Ewropej fuq il-Bord Dinji tal-International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). Ta' min jgħid li Ruth Baldacchino serviet bħala membru fuq il-Bord ta' ILGA-Europe bejn is-snin 2006 u 2010, u ilha isservi fuq il-Bord Dinji sa mis-sena 2005.

Preżenti għall-Konferenza Annwali ta' ILGA-Europe kien hemm ukoll Silvan Agius, Policy Director ta' ILGA-Europe, Nikki Falzon bħala voluntiera flimkien ma' Mark Grech u Bernard Muscat mill-MGRM bħala parteċipanti.

F'kumment li tat, Ruth Baldacchino qalet li l-Konferenza Annwali ta' ILGA Europe hija attività kruċjali biex jintefa' dawl u titqajjem kuxjenza dwar il-qagħda tal-persuni LGBTI fl-Ewropa.

"Waqt li aħna kburin bl-avvanzi kbar li seħħew f'xi pajjiżi, mhux l-istess jista' jingħad għal pajjiżi oħrajn, fosthom Malta. Il-qagħda politika kurrenti li qiegħda xxaqleb lejn ħsibijiet estremi qiegħda thedded serjament milli jkompli jsiru aktar avvanzi fl-oqsma tad-drittijiet umani u l-ġustizzja soċjali", qalet Ruth Baldacchino waqt li saħqet fuq l-importanza li attivisti, persuni akkademiċi u dawk li jieħdu d-deċiżjonijiet isibu modi kif jikkoperaw aktar mill-qrib bejniethom biex jilqgħu għall-preġudizzji u jibnu alleanzi għall-ħarsien u t-tisħiħ tad-drittijiet umani ta' persuni LGBTI.

Times: Pope Benedict to fight gay marriage, abortion in Spain

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101105/world-news/pope-benedict-to-fight-gay-marriage-abortion-in-spain
Friday, 5th November 2010; Elisa Santafe, AFP

This file photo shows a nun reading an anti-abortion brochure reading “The right to live” while attending a demonstration to protest against the government’s plans to liberalise the abortion law in Madrid. Photo: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP

Pope Benedict XVI is taking his worldwide battle against abortion and gay marriage to Spain, a Roman Catholic bastion that has raced to adopt laws abhorred by the Church.

Church leaders are touting the Pope’s visit this weekend as a defence of their most sacred beliefs from an onslaught of socially progressive legislation.

Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero’s Socialist government angered the Church and many conservatives by legalising gay marriage and easing restrictions on abortion.

For a country where 73 per cent of people say they are Catholic, down from 80 per cent eight years ago, gay marriage laws in 2005 provoked public opposition but nothing on the scale of the anti-abortion movement.

A recent law easing restrictions on abortion unleashed far more heated opposition, sending tens of thousands of protesters into the streets in successive demonstrations over the past 18 months.

Only an economic crisis that brought a 20-per cent jobless rate managed to brake the pace of reforms, forcing Mr Zapatero to set his mind on recovery and shelve legislation to strictly separate Church and state.

Pope Benedict XVI launches his weekend visit in Santiago de Compostela, one of the holiest and most powerful sites of the Church in Europe, drawing pilgrims for more than 1,000 years.

He then travels to Barcelona to consecrate the Sagrada Familia church, and bless the building of a new home for children with Down’s Syndrome and other mental disabilities.

Leaders of the Church in Spain – the Bishops’ Conference – cast the visit in the starkest terms against gay marriage and abortion.

When the Sagrada Famila was first planned in the late 19th century, they said in a statement, the Church “already warned that the natural and Christian famibased on marriage, constitutes the basic cell of society”.

The press director of the Bishops’ Conference, Isidro Catela, said the number of children with Downs Syndrome had declined because “a good number of them are eliminated before they are born.”

The Pope’s visit to the construction of a new children’s home in Barcelona, he said, was a way of defending the lives of all “whether or not they have greater or lesser intellectual capacity”.

Spain’s abortion law, brought in four months ago, allows abortion on demand up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, abortion in case of risk to the life and health of the mother until 22 weeks and abortion beyond that time with the consent of a medical committee if there is a risk of extremely serious or incurable disease of the foetus.

It is a law that would have allowed 30-year-old Gemma Botifoll to interrupt her pregnancy in Spain. But in 2008 when doctors detected that her foetus had serious deformations at eight-and-a-half months, she had to travel to Rennes in France for the operation.

“In Spain I felt terrible, I was not supported by anyone,” she said in an interview. The operation was still paid for by Spain’s health system in accordance with European Union laws.

The abortion and gay rights laws fed Spain’s political tensions, too, hailed by the Socialist Party but denounced by the conservative Popular Party.

“Spain has become a benchmark of equality not only in Europe but the whole world,” boasted Pedro Zerolo, the Socialist Party’s secretary for relations with social movements and NGOs.

Mr Zapatero bet on a more plural and diverse society, said Mr Zerolo, who married his male partner shortly after the gay marriage law – the third in Europe after The Netherlands and Belgium – was adopted. In five years, some 20,000 gay couples have married in Spain.

The abortion and gay marriage laws are protested by the Popular Party, which has appealed both to the Constitutional Court. The party leader, Mariano Rajoy, has said he will reform them if elected.

Despite Church opposition to the laws, Mr Zapatero has sought to cultivate better relations with the Vatican.

He recently postponed a proposed law on religious freedom that would have required the removal of crucifixes from public places, and an end to both Roman Catholic state funerals and the swearing-in of the prime minister before a crucifix.

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]

Times: Majority of students for divorce

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20101104/local/little-mention-of-children-in-debate-on-impact-of-divorce-on-them
4.11.10

Just over half of the University students, 54 per cent, agree with the introduction of divorce in Malta, according to the results of a survey carried out by Move.

About 32 per cent were against divorce and the rest were undecided, the survey among 606 students revealed.

Results also showed that 43 per cent of students were in favour of same sex marriages when compared to 49 per cent last year. Meanwhile, 57 per cent did not agree that same sex couples should be allowed to adopt children, 24 per cent agreed and the rest were undecided.

Just over 50 per cent disagreed that an official religion should be enshrined in the Constitution, 45 per cent of students were against the introduction of euthanasia and 51 per cent believed the education system was not bureaucratically efficient.

[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]

L-Orizzont: L-appoġġ għad-divorzju fl-Università jibqa' fejn kien sena ilu: Le għar-"reliġjon" fil-Kostituzzjoni

http://www.l-orizzont.com/news.asp?newsitemid=67479

4.11.10

Maġġoranza tal-istudenti universitarji eżatta­ment 50.7%, huma kontra li reliġjon partikolari tkun imniżżla fil-Kostituzzjoni ta' Malta. Fil-Kostituzzjoni ta' Malta bħalissa hemm imniżżel li "r-reliġjon ta' Malta hi r-Reliġjon Kattolika Rumana. L-awtoritajiet tal-Knisja Kattolika Appostolika Rumana għandhom id-dmir u l-jedd li jgħallmu liema prinċipji huma tajbin u liema huma ħżiena." Tgħid ukoll li "t-tagħlim reliġjuż tal-fidi Kattolika Appostolika Rumana għandu jkun provdut fl-iskejjel".

L-opinjoni tal-istudenti dwar ir-reliġjon fil-Kostituz­zjoni, saret magħrufa permezz ta' stħarriġ li sar fost 606 studenti fl-Università. L-istħarriġ sar bejn l-4 u t-8 ta' Ottubru. Mill-istħarriġ ikkummissjonat mill-għaqda studenteska "MOVE" naraw li kien hemm 34.4% tal-istudenti li qalu li jaqblu li fil-Kostituzzjoni tissemma r-reliġjon, waqt li 14.9% għadhom indeċiżi. L-għaqda progressiva "MOVE", ilbieraħ ippubblikat l-istħarriġ li għamlet, liema stħarriġ sar madwar sena wara li kienet għamlet stħarriġ simili fuq id-divorzju u l-kontraċettivi.

Mill-istħarriġ li tnieda lbie­raħ jirriżulta li 54.4% tal-istudenti universitarji jaqblu mal-introduzzjoni tad-divorzju f'Ma­lta. Dan meta fl-istħarriġ tas-sena li għaddiet il-persentaġġ kien ta' 54.9%. L-istudenti li huma kontra d-dħul tad-divorzju f'pajjiżna hu ta' 32.4%, waqt li fl-istħarriġ tas-sena li għaddiet dan kien ta' 32.7%. Dawk li huma indeċiżi jammontaw għal 13.2% fl-istħarriġ ta' din is-sena u 12.4% fl-istħarriġ tas-sena li għaddiet. L-istudenti universitarji ntal­bu jagħtu l-opinjoni tagħ­hom dwar ir-rikonoxximent għal żwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess. Fl-istħarriġ ta' din is-sena kien hemm 43% tal-istudenti li qablu li persuni tal-istess sess għandhom jin­għataw id-dritt li jiżżewġu. 41.7% tal-istudenti huma kon­tra ż-żwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess. Meta wieħed iqabbel l-istħarriġ ta' din is-sena ma' dak li sar is-sena li għaddiet, naraw li l-ammont ta' studenti favur żwieġ bejn persuni tal-istess sess naqas. Dan għax fl-istħarriġ tas-sena li għaddiet kien hemm kważi 50% li qalu li jaqblu ma' dan it-tip ta' żwieġ. Mill-istħarriġ irriżulta li l-maġġoranza assoluta tal-istudenti universitarji huma kontra li persuni tal-istess sess jingħataw l-opportunità li ja­dottaw it-tfal, bil-persentaġġ ikun ta' 57%. Kien hemm iżda 23.5% li huma tal-fehma li koppji tal-istess sess għandhom jingħataw l-opportunità li jadottaw waqt li 19.5% kie­nu indeċiżi. Fejn jirrigwarda l-ewtanasja – jiġifieri għajnuna biex wieħed itemm ħajtu – naraw li mill-istħarriġ ħareġ li 45.25% ma jaqblux li l-ew­tanasja tkun introdotta f'Mal­ta. Biss mill-banda l-oħra kien hemm 33.05% li kienu favur u 21.7% li kienu għadhom in­deċiżi. Dwar is-sistema edukattiva naraw li 38.7% tal-istudenti kienu tal-fehma li s-sistema edukattiva tagħti aktar mobilità għax-xogħol lill-istudenti, waqt li 36% ma jaqblux. Jirriżulta wkoll li 51.2% huma tal-fehma li s-sistema edukattiva mhix effiċjenti, bi 23.3% ma jaqblux ma' dan u 25.5% indeċiżi. Hemm imbagħad 51.4% li huma tal-fehma li hemm lista twila ħafna tal-korsijiet offruti mill-Università, waqt li 34.9% ma jaqblux ma dan.

Il-Ġens Illum: Il-Kelma Profetika tal-Ġisem tal-Bniedem

http://www.il-gensillum.com/news.asp?newscat=10&news=2484
6 ta' Novembru 2010 minn Mons. Mario Grech

L-esperjenza tixhed li fil-ħajja tagħna l-bnedmin, ħafna tensjonijiet kienu kkalmati, żbalji kkoreġuti u konflitti żarmati għax kien hemm medjazzjoni tajba. Ir-rwol tal-medjatur hija vitali biex ikun hemm komunikazzjoni, u hekk wieħed jasal għall-għarfien tal-verità u jistabbilixxi relazzjoni sinċiera u dejjiema. Meta l-medjazzjoni tkun fqira jew fallaċi, jiddgħajfu r-relazzjonijiet u jkun hemm ħerba.

Fil-ħajja ordinarja tagħna, il-ġisem uman hu "medjatur" singulari biex il-bniedem jidħol f'komunjoni personali u rispettuża mal-oħrajn u jagħraf lilu u jaċċetta lilu nnifsu. Meta din il-medjazzjoni korporea hi żbaljata, jew forsi wkoll nieqsa, il-kwalità tal-ħajja umana tbati. Huwa fatt li ċerti nies huma mdejqin għax mhumiex kuntenti bihom infushom, bħal fil-każ ta' meta mhumiex komdi bil-fiżiku tagħhom u bl-orjentament sesswali tagħhom.

Hemm oħrajn li jħallu l-egoiżmu tagħhom jifgagħhom tant li billi ma jirnexxilhomx jidħlu f'relazzjoni ma' ħaddiehor, għandhom diffikultà biex jagħrfu lilhom infushom u jingħalqu fihom infushom. Hemm, imbagħad, irġiel u nisa li għalkemm iħossuhom li għandhom jidħlu f'relazzjoni ta' mħabba ma' persuni ta' sess divers, għandhom diffikultà biex jaċċettaw lil ħaddieħor. Għandna koppji miżżewġa li jagħmlu ħajjithom infern għaliex ma jafux jirrelataw ma' xulxin, anqas intimament!

Fost iż-żwiġijiet li jfallu, hemm dawk li jibdlu lill-mara jew lir-raġel għas-sempliċi raġuni li ma jaċċetawx il-fatt li l-ġisem tas-sieħeb jew tas-sieħba għandu l-istorja tiegħu u għalhekk jitlef il-faxxinu tiegħu – għalhekk jitilfu lill-mara jew lir-raġel biex isibu ġisem iżgħar fl-età!

Ukoll, il-mod kif qed naħsbu dwar il-produzzjoni tal-ħajja umana u kif jidhrilna li nistgħu niddisponu mill-ħajja fl-ewwel fażijiet tat-tnissil, juri x'kunċett għandna tal-ġisem tal-bniedem.

B'ġisem uman qed nifhmu l-persuna, ikkunsidrata fid-dimensjoni korporea. Infatti, aħna għandna "ġisem animat" li diversi aspetti tiegħu jistgħu jiġu mistħarrġa minn xjenzi differenti: fiżjoloġija, anatomija u x-xjenzi biomediċi. Imma 'l hinn minn dan l-aspett fiżjoloġiku, il-ġisem uman għandu tifsiriet oħrajn. Billi huwa mezz ta' medjazzjoni biex il-persuna tidher, il-ġisem uman għandu valuri simboliċi: hu l-modalità li permezz tiegħu l-persuna hija "preżenti".

Kull persuna tista' tifhimha permezz tal-ġisem tagħha – infatti kull ġisem hu uniku, singulari u personali. Huwa realtà magħmula mil-laħam u għadam, imma b'differenza minn robot li jitħarrek minn movimenti mekkaniċi u sterjotipati, huwa animat b'tali mod li dritt nidentifikaw il-ġisem ma' persuna individwu.

F'dan is-sens, kull ġisem hu differenti għax kull persuna hija differenti. Min iferi l-ġisem ta' xi ħadd, ikun ħabat għal dik il-persuna partikulari – għalhekk nistgħu ngħidu mhux biss li għandna ġisem, imma li aħna ġisem!

Permezz tal-medjazzjoni tal-ġisem, il-persuna tidħol f'relazzjoni mal-oħrajn. Hekk, permezz ta' din il-medjazzjoni tinbena l-komunità inter-personali u permezz ta' dawn ir-relazzjonijiet il-bniedem jibni lilu nnifsu. Fuq livell espressiv, il-komunità tinbena permezz tal-lingwaġġ, mentri fuq livell affettiv, permezz tal-għaqda sesswali.

Fl-ethos tal-bniedem tal-Punent, is-sesswalità umana m'għadhiex titqies bħala aspett serju tal-ħajja tal-bniedem. Svojtajna s-sesswalità mill-verità u t-tifsira proprja tagħha. Is-sesswalità m'għadhiex titqies bħala attività "sagra", u għax timpenja l-persuna bħala tali, issa qed tiġi pubbliċizzata bħala "attività mekkanika".

Infatti, l-uniku kriterju biex nivvalutaw id-diversi modi kif il-bniedem jeżerċita s-sesswalità tiegħu hu l-pjaċir – għażilna li ma nagħtux aktar każ jekk l-espressjoni sesswali hix konformi jew le man-natura u l-finalità proprja tas-sesswalità. Billi s-sesswalità tneżżgħet mill-valur intrinsiku tagħha, illum il-bniedem ma jikkomtemplax jekk huwiex liberu jew le fl-azzjoni tiegħu, imma jimxi kif ifettillu – spontanjetà!

Fi kliem ieħor, is-sesswalità umana ġiet snaturata mis-serjetà għaliex ġiet miftuma mill-persuna, liema separazzjoni timplika xpakkaturi ferm aktar serji.

Infatti, għaddej kurrent biex il-ġisem jinfired mill-persuna u hekk il-bniedem jittratta lil ġismu jew ġisem ħaddieħor daqslikieku hu oġġett distint mill-persuna. Meta l-ġisem uman inħall mill-persuna u bdejna nħarsu lejh daqslikieku kien parti oħra tan-natura – meta l-ġisem kien spersonalizzat, is-sesswalità kienet maħtufa mit-tifsira naturali tagħha u l-bniedem ħassu liberu li jagħtiha t-tifsira li ried hu. Hekk is-sesswalità, flok ma hija lingwaġġ tal-imħabba li jesprimi l-għotja tal-persuna u l-ftuħ għall-ħajja, saret mezz ta' gratifikazzjoni, strumentalizzazzjoni, sfruttament u kummerċ.

B'hekk dħalna f'raġunament li ladarba s-sesswalità hi xi attività newtrali (insinjifikanti), il-bniedem jinqeda biha għal liema għan irid hu. L-unika ħaġa li (forsi) l-bniedem li jirraġuna b'dan il-mod għadu jagħraf hija li jekk fl-eżerċizzju tas-sesswalità jkun hemm persuna oħra involuta, allura huwa mistenni li din tagħti l-kunsens tagħha!

F'dan il-kuntest, għalhekk, naslu biex nikkonvinċu ruħna li mhux biss l-attività eterosesswali hi umanament denja, imma l-attività omosesswali wkoll hija attività tajba u jistħoqqilha l-istess għarfien bħall-attività eterosesswali. B'din il-premessa, allura wieħed jasal biex jikkonkludi li mhux veru li hemm żewġ tipi ta' sesswalità – dik maskili u dik femminili, imma hemm "ir-raġel" u l-"mara": ir-raġel jista' jirrelata, kemm mal-mara, kif ukoll ma' raġel ieħor; u l-mara tista' tirrelata ma' raġel jew mara oħra!

Għaddej ukoll sforz biex issir firda bejn eros u l-imħabba. Il-viżjoni utilitarista tiċħad li l-bniedem għandu l-ħila li jkejjel ix-xewqat tiegħu skont il-virtù; anzi hemm min jgħid li jekk ngħidu li hemm verità li tmexxi lill-bniedem, dan ifisser li nkunu nammettu limitazzjoni umana! Għalhekk, ir-raġuni umana hija biss strument biex il-bniedem jissodisfa x-xewqat, il-passjonijiet u l-interessi kollha tiegħu.

Bir-raġun, għalhekk, li fl-Enċiklika Deus Caritas Est, Benedettu XVI jikteb li l-imħabba "eros" hija degradazzjoni tad-dinjità tal-bniedem. . . teħtieġ rażan u tisfija biex lill-bniedem tagħtih mhux pjaċir ta' mument (n.7). Huwa fatt li din il-proposta antropoloġika, minflok ma tagħmel lill-bniedem ħieles, tnittiflu l-libertà tiegħu biex tħallih jitmexxa mill-istinti tiegħu. Fil-kamp tas-sesswalità, dan ikompli jbattalha min-natura tagħha ta' mħabba li tingħata – is-sesswalità jibqagħlha biss dimensjoni erotika li ssaħħaħ l-aspett edonistiku tagħha. Huwa ovvju li impostazzjoni edonista tas-sesswalità tkompli tissepara s-sesswalità miż-żwieġ u ż-żwieġ mill-familja.

Kurrent ieħor qed ikompli jkisser ir-relazzjoni bejn iż-żewġ dimensjonijiet tal-att konjugali: dak unittiv u dak prokreattiv. Il-mentalità kontraċettiva ħarbtet dan ir-rapport mhux biss fuq livell bijoloġiku, imma wkoll fuq livell ta' intenzjoni. Huwa fatt li l-kultura tal-kontraċezzjoni wasslet għal kultura kontra t-twelid. Ir-rata baxxa tat-twelid f'pajjiżna hija indikattiva.

L-istess ħsara tista' tiġi kkawżata mill-prassi tat-tnissil medikament assistit. Fiż-żewg każijiet, l-imħabba konjugali espressa bil-lingwaġġ sesswali mhix aktar qed tkun miftuħa għall-ħajja, kemm għaliex hu possibbli li bejn il-miżżewġin ikun hemm att ta' mħabba kapriċċjożament magħluq għall-ħajja, kif ukoll għax jista' jkun hemm mod kif titnissel il-ħajja barra mill-kuntest tal-imħabba konjugali.

Mhux biss id-divorzju jibdel in-natura taż-żwieġ, imma wkoll din il-prassi li għadna kemm semmejna. Għaliex jekk iż-żwieġ hu dik l-għaqda leġittima bejn raġel u mara biex ikun hemm il-ħajja, is-separazzjoni tad-don tal-ħajja mill-għaqda leġittima u s-sesswalità umana, iddgħajjef l-istituzzjoni taż-żwieġ! Agħar minn hekk, il-prassi tat-tnissil medikament assistit tista' tgħin biex id-dritt tat-tnissil artifiċjali jiġi rikonoxxut lil diversi kategoriji konviventi, inklużi dawk f'relazzjoni omosesswali, u hekk dawn il-fenomeni jiġu ekwiparati mal-familja mwaqqfa fuq iż-żwieġ!

It-tifrik tal-verità u tat-tifsira tas-sesswalità wassal għal dik li tissejjaħ "ideoloġija tal-ġeneru [gender]" – skont din l-ideoloġija, l-identità u l-konvinċiment ta' persuna dwar is-sesswalità tagħha – jiġifieri jekk hijiex raġel jew mara – hija ħolqien tal-kultura li tiddependi mir-rwoli li soċjetà partikulari tattribwixxi lis-sessi. Mela, raġel iħossu raġel jew mara tħossha mara mhux għax skont kriterji oġġettivi, imma skont il-konvenzjonijiet soċjali tal-post!

Quddiem din il-konfużjoni antropoloġika, fejn se nfittxu d-dawl? Nifraħ lid-Dar Ġużeppa Debono li laqgħetna għal din il-Konferenza Nazzjonali, li fil-fehma tiegħi, hija providenzjali għaliex se tagħtina l-possibilità li nixtarru t-Teoloġija tal-Ġisem – wieħed mid-doni l-kbar li ħallielna l-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II. Anzi l-Papa nnifsu jsejjaħ dan l-Evanġelju dwar il-ġisem bħala "la teologia del sesso" - "la teologia del corpo. . . diventa, in certo modo, anche teologia del sesso, o piuttosto teologia della masculinità e della femminilità".

Skont il-Papa, il-ġisem uman għandu "kelma profetika" fis-sens li l-ġisem, f'isem Alla l-Ħallieq, jiġbor fih grammatika u lingwaġġ li jurina t-triq tal-imħabba vera li twassal għal ħajja umana dinjituża; hekk, il-ġisem uman ikompli jkun medjatur biex il-bniedem jidħol mhux biss f'relazzjoni mal-oħrajn, imma wkoll ma' Alla.
Konvint li t-teoloġija tal-ġisem li se jesponi issa l-Professur Rev George Woodall għandha messaġġ deċiżiv għas-soċjetà Maltija li bħalissa qed ikollha tikkonfronta tematiċi serji.

Nagħlaq b'sentenza programmatika ta' Sant'Injazju minn Antijokja: Il Cristianesimo non è opera di persuasione, ma di grandezza" (Lettera ai Romani). Affrontati minn kurrenti fis-soċjetà tagħna li mhux biss jidhru li qed jagħlqu qalbhom għall-messaġġ ta' Kristu, imma wkoll probabbli għandhom antroploġija żbaljata, inxandru b'kuraġġ u qawwa l-ġmiel u l-ġdid (la grandezza) ta' din il-bxara t-tajba dwar il-ġisem uman – dwar il-persuna, iż-żwieġ u l-familja. L-isfida l-kbira tagħna mhix li dan il-messaġġ ma jiġix milqugħ, imma li ma nibqgħux nemmnu fil-ġmiel tal-messaġġ Nisrani u għalhekk nirtiraw mis-soċjetà.

MGRM: 14th ILGA-Europe's Annual Conference concluded in The Hague

PRESS RELEASE by the MALTA GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT
3.11.10

Four committee members from MGRM attended the14th ILGA-Europe Annual Conference held in The Hague. Gabi Calleja, the Co-ordinator of the Malta Gay Rights Movement was elected to the Executive Board during the conference while Ruth Baldacchino was re-elected as one of the two European representatives on the ILGA World Board.

Ruth Baldacchino was member of the ILGA-Europe Board between 2006 and 2010, and has been serving on the World Board since 2005. Also present were Silvan Agius, Policy Director with ILGA-Europe, Nikki Falzon as a volunteer, Mark Grech and Bernard Muscat from MGRM as participants.

Nikki Falzon, Mark Grech, Gabi Calleja, Ruth Baldacchino, Silvan Agius, Bernard Muscat

Over 260 lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) activists, European and national politicians, representatives of other organisations from 37 European countries gathered in The Hague, The Netherlands between the 28^th and 31^st October 2010 for the largest annual event on LGBTI rights in Europe.

The Conference theme "Expressing our differences, challenging our prejudices, developing our alliances" and other issues were debated in a number of panel discussions, workshops and self-organised groups. Conference participants adopted a resolution expressing concerns about the rise of extremism in Europe and encouraging ILGA-Europe, including member organisations, to support efforts to tackle extremism in all its forms. A second resolution of the Conference encourages ILGA-Europe member organisations to actively promote and embrace diversity within LGBTI communities. The Conference also adopted a declaration condemning the attack on Russian LGBTI activists which took place in Tomsk (Russia) while the Conference was taking place, expressing its solidarity to the activists and calling upon greater tolerance towards LGBTI human rights defenders in Russia.

This year's Conference was organised in co-operation with COC Haaglanden. Next year's ILGA-Europe Annual Conference will take place in October 2011 in Turin (Italy).

Ruth Baldacchino said, "The ILGA-Europe Annual Conference is a crucial event to highlight and raise awareness on the situation of LGBTI people in Europe. Whilst we can be proud of great advances in some countries, the same cannot be said of other countries, including Malta. The current political shift towards extreme views seriously threatens more advances in the areas of human rights and social justice. This Conference confirmed that it is important for activists, academics and decision-makers to seek ways of co-operation to challenge prejudices and build alliances to progress on human rights for LGBTI people."

M Magazine: An open and close(t) case

Kenneth Zammit Tabona and Cyrus Engerer tell PAUL CARUANA TURNER how they came out.

23.10.10 by Paul Caruana Turner

[Posted on this website with the permission of M Magazine: m@timesofmalta.com; M Magazine is published by Allied Newspapers Limited and distributed with the Times of Malta.]

Coming out is the kind of almost simplistic terminology that hides the actual turmoil of recognising and informing friends of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. No matter the age of the person involved, coming out is a process where feelings of anxiety, shame, guilt, loneliness, denial and even depression can come to the fore.

The most worrying concern is being rejected by the people we love most – we are afraid that by outing ourselves we will bring great shame on our families, especially on a small island such as ours, where houses are so tightly knit together that they constitute a giant neighbourhood watch, and where religion still plays a heavy role in our daily lives.

Coming out is not one single decision or action – rather, it is an ongoing process that one must live through every day. Of course, things are easier now than they were back in the 1960s and 70s. And even if locally, the recognition of gay rights and the growth of the gay scene are moving at a pace Eric the Eel would be ashamed of, there is at least the possibility of seeking refuge, help and friendship.

Unfortunately coming out does not always end well and repercussions can be serious. I have spoken with people who have been rejected by their parents and kicked out of home. Others were sent to psychotherapists and priests to remove the ‘silly’ idea from their head

Unfortunately some people who come out cannot handle the rejection. It is such issues and tragedies that political parties in Malta need to take on while providing further education and assistance.

LIFE BEGINS AT 40

As Kenneth Zammit Tabona (below) discusses a play he had just watched a couple of evenings before, we seek refuge in a Sliema café to talk about another kind of drama – coming out. Kenneth recalls the situation back in the 1970s.

“Most of the people I knew would rather move abroad than go through the whole debacle of coming out,” he tells me. “Gays were not accepted at the time, and there was certainly no gay scene to speak of.

Kenneth Zammit-Tabona (Photo by Kris Micallef at krismicallef.com)

“Such was the close-mindedness of people that they either passed being gay off as a cry for attention or something people chose to do to be cool,” he adds.

Back in those days, homosexuality was taboo and although Kenneth knew from around the age of 15 that he was gay, it was when he hit the big 40 that he finally threw open the metaphorical closet door and came out. It involved a humorous anecdote he recites with boisterous laughter.

“I remember I had gone out to eat with a long-time friend. As I came out to him over lunch, he just replied, ‘I’ve known for a while’. This certainly provided an anticlimax to all the adrenaline that I had bunched up while building up the nerve to tell him. But after that episode, coming out to other people just became easier.”

Kenneth concedes that he feels that things have been made easier today, not only by the change in attitude and positive campaigns but also through the help of social networking sites which have helped people seek out direction and advice online.

Kenneth admits that he has been contacted several times through this medium by people decades younger then himself who know him as a friend of relatives and see him as someone they can trust to provide guidance and help them through the stages of coming out.

Kenneth applauds the efforts made by the Malta Gay Rights Movement, but admits that it’s not “trendy enough to attract larger numbers of young volunteers”.

A VOTE IN FAVOUR

Cyrus Engerer’s serious character is at odds with the rabble-rouser tag many people rush to place on him. Religion has had a heavy influence on Cyrus (below) since his childhood.

“I was a member of a prayer group, and when I first began to realise I was different, I would feel guilty.”

He admits that hewas judgemental of friends who were openly gay. Despite never rejecting them, he still felt that, “They were doing something wrong and that they should repent.” As a student of political science, Cyrus realised the potential damage that coming out could cause to his political aspirations – he believed that he would not be able to pursue a future in politics if he came out.

Cyrus admits that he has been treated differently by various factions of the PN, the party he now serves – while some people employ kid gloves when dealing with him, others approach him as their equal. Cyrus also concedes his frustration with other party members who although of the same orientation choose to keep silent in the face of the party’s refusal to take a stand on the issue of gay rights, which is yet another hurdle in the struggle for equality.

The first time that his mother confronted him about his sexuality, he denied it. Then when he began to be more open about his orientation, his mum confronted him a second time. This time around, he admitted to being gay. He has never regretted his decision to come out.

Mons. Mario Grech: Is-Sesswalità umana

31.10.10

F’diskors li għamel fil-konklużżjoni ta’ Konferenza Nazzjonali dwar “it-teoloġija tal-ġisem” li saret f’Għawdex nhar il-Ħadd filgħodu, l-Isqof Mario Grech wassal dan il-messaġġ:

Kull abbuż sesswali fuq il-minuri, huwa hażin u kundannabli irrispettivament jekk min jwettqu jkunx persuna lajka, reliġjuża jew saċerdot. L-abbużi sesswali għandhom jiġu denunzjati lill-awtoritàjiet kompetenti, partikularment lil pulizija.

Pero huwa fatt li fis-soċjetà qed isiru ukoll abbużi mis-sesswalità tal-bniedem.

Hija abbużata l-persuna metà ma tkunx mgħejjuna biex ma ċċedix għall-istint. Hemm bżonn li l-bniedem jitheġġeġ biex juża aktar ir-raġuni tiegħu biex jiżen jekk l-għemil sesswali tiegħu huwiex qed jirrispetta n-natura u l-finalità tas-sesswalità umana.

Is-sistema edukattiva tagħna tista tkun qed tagħmel abbuż fuq l-istudenti jekk flok ma tgħinhom jitgħallmu kif jedukaw l-enerġija sesswali tagħhom, toffrilhom tagħlim u mezzi bħalma huma l-kontraċettivi, biex iċedu għall-kultura tal-pjaċir.

Metà l-imħabba bejn il-bnedmin tiġi proposta bhala imħabba erotiċa li tinqeda bil-ġisem uman, ikun qed isir abbuż mill-imħabba vera. Għax l-imħabba vera għandha twassal biex persuna tingħata u mhux biex tipposedi.

Billi l-ġisem uman huwa parti mill-persuna, dan għandu jkun rispettat mill-mument fejn isehh id-dinamika tat-tnissil sat-tmiem tal-hajja naturali tiegħu.