AD: Government's appeal against transgender case: AD expresses solidarity with LGBT movement

Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party, www.alternattiva.org.mt
P.O. Box 38, Marsa, MTP1001

Press Release 22/12/10

Alternattiva Demokratika - The Green Party expressed its disappointment with the Attorney General's appeal against the court sentence which had granted Joanne Cassar the right to marry a man after her gender reassignment surgery.

Yvonne Arqueros Ebejer, spokesperson for Civil Rights added: ' It is a shame and most insensitive that the court ruled that Ms Joanne Cassar would never be considered to be a “woman” according to the Marriage Act and declared the change in her birth certificate, allowing a change of name and gender, was only intended to protect the right to privacy and to avoid embarrassment. A democratic and responsible government should always protect civil liberties without excluding any minority. '

Michael Briguglio, AD Chairperson, added: 'The constitutional court had rightly based its judgement on the charter of fundamental rights of the EU. Yet, once again, the confessional ideology of state institutions is rearing its ugly head. This only calls for more solidarity with the LGBT movement in order that Malta would stop acting like the crib of the Europe'.