Thursday, January 17, 2013, 09:22
Alternattiva Demokratika is the only party for full equality on LGBT rights, Angele Deguara, spokeswoman for social policy and civil rights said this morning.
Ms Deguara said that AD’s manifesto will include same-sex marriage, non-discrimination for IVF treatment and equal adoption rights for same-sex couples proposals.
“Social justice, equality and civil rights are among the pillars on which AD is built. Just as AD was the first to put the right for divorce on the political agenda, it was also AD which came out with clear and progressive proposals in favour of LGBT rights.
“AD is in fact the only party which is fully endorsing all MGRM’s proposals. We believe that LGBT persons should be treated at par with heterosexual persons in every social aspect including where civil marriage, adoption and the right to IVF treatment are concerned. Rights, obligations, procedures and criteria which apply to straight persons and couples should also apply to LGBT persons and couples.”
Ms Deguara said that this value of inclusion of the LGBT community should also be reflected in schools. The Constitution should be amended to prohibit every form of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Politicians should also have the duty and the responsibility to raise public awareness about the rights of the LGBT community so that their inclusion would not take place only on a legal and political level but also on a social level.
AD chairman Michael Briguglio said AD welcomed the fact that both the PN and the PL improved their policies on LGBT matters, but both parties still retained certain discriminatory policies.
PN and PL agreed to introduce IVF legislation which discriminated against same sex couples and single persons.
They also disagreed with same-sex marriage and had not taken on AD’s proposal to change legislation to allow same-sex couples to adopt.
It was not enough for Labour and Nationalist parties to declare adoption should be based on the child’s best interest and not the sexual orientation of adoptive parents and that they would leave it up to professionals to decide.
This was because professionals would need policy guidelines so the law has to be changed.
“Sexual orientation alone should not preclude couples from giving children the love and care that they need. Across the globe, it is not only the Greens who support proposals such as same-sex marriage but also other parties and politicians from different backgrounds, such as US President Obama, British Prime Minister Cameron and French President Hollande," Dr Briguglio said.
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