ARC: Meet Mr Gay Malta Iven Fenech

Talks about being “Abused, Raped, Brother’s Suicide & Upcoming Community projects”
https://www.facebook.com/notes/arc-allied-rainbow-communities/meet-mr-gay-malta-iven-fenech/971125072973241/?ref=m_notif&notif_t=page_fan

MARCH 30 · PUBLIC; Edited by Russell Sammut

I was a young boy raised in a traditional family, I was the eldest of 3 brothers. At 11 I was admitted to a Boarding School. I started adjusting to my new life, I began to see my siblings only on weekends, while still adjusting to this new “lifestyle”. One day my parents told me that they were going to separate. It was very hard on me. I can still recall the sleepless nights and mixed emotions, but I had to keep my feelings to myself I had to be strong for my two younger brothers who were too young and needed me to be strong for them.
As the separation took place I had to choose whether to live with my mother or my father. Even though they only lived a few minutes away from each other, the choice of choosing between the two people who I loved the most was tough. In the end, my brothers remained with my mother and I moved in with my father.
“Two police officers came to pick me up from school and took me to the police station. None of this made sense, I was confused, What Happened? What did I do?”

Pink News: Prison Break star Wentworth Miller speaks out against meme mocking weight gain ‘while suicidal’

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/03/29/prison-break-star-wentworth-miller-speaks-out-against-meme-mocking-weight-gain-while-suicidal/
29th March 2016, 1:31 PM by Nick Duffy



Wentworth Miller was mocked for gaining weight after quitting his iconic role

Prison Break star Wentworth Miller has hit out at a meme mocking him for his weight gain after leaving his most iconic role.

The actor was a huge name while starring in Prison Break, but was forced to deny gossip about his sexuality at the time.

TouTube: Human Rights Above Religion - Tooji

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMMeHWgi1pA

YouTube: Xarabank - L'Omosesswalità - Dr. Patrick Attard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie2DO1Gj1S8


Published on Oct 22, 2012 by xarabankonline
www.facebook.com\xarabank
Tel:21249200
xarabank@tvm.com.mt
---
Malta Gay News Library: YouTube: Xarabank: Vjaġġ fl-Istorja tal-Komunità Gay
Tags: Gay Gays Lesbian Lesbians LGBT Malta Cohabitation "Civil Partnership" "Gay Marriage" "Marriage Equality" Koabitazzjoni Pride HIV AIDS Holocaust "Pink Triangle" Stonewall Suicide Homophobia "Concentration Camps" "Paragraph 175" Enigma "Alan Turing" "Pink Pest"

Independent UK: Psychotherapist who tried to ‘cure’ me of homosexuality has at last been struck off

Our writer, who uncovered gay "conversion" therapy in Britain, discusses his struggle with practitioners and British psychotherapy's regulating body

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/psychotherapist-who-tried-to-cure-me-of-homosexuality-has-at-last-been-struck-off-8197844.html
4.10.2012

Lesley Pilkington, the psychotherapist who tried to “cure” me of my homosexuality while I was undercover investigating so-called conversion therapy, has now, finally, after a two-and-a-half-year fight, been struck off.

The professional body under which she practiced – the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy - has withdrawn her membership. She becomes the first therapist in history to be struck off after trying to convert a gay client to heterosexuality - despite decades of such abusive interventions by the profession.

EU LGBT Intergroup: European Leaders It Gets Better Video [Against Homophobia and Gay Suicides]

http://vimeo.com/42250828

In Europe, growing up lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender can be challenging: difference often leads to bullying, self-harm, and sometimes suicide attempts. Studies consistently point to higher physical and mental health risks for LGBT young people.

For the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2012, over 50 European politicians and leaders from all EU institutions join forces telling LGBT teenagers they are working to make things better, and put an end to homophobia and transphobia.

David Casa MEP, Malta [02:08 - 02:17]

YouTube: It Gets Better: Remembering Ryan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFJuYkS6Oa0



Thank you to the hundreds of contributors from dozens of countries around the world. Thank you to Julia Lambie, creator of Flying Wish Paper, for donating product for use in the film. And a special thank you to Ryan's mom, Julie, for believing in this project. Julie, your courage and love is an inspiration for me -- and all of us.

For more about Ryan's story and this project, watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk2qch2jiG4

And now that we've made our wishes, let's go out and make them happen.

Note: Many factors contribute to suicide risk. Because lesbian, gay and bisexual youth often experience a hostile environment, they are 4x more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers. Those who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness are at a heightened risk for attempting suicide. You have the power to be the help someone needs by showing you care, by acting on your wish and by being a friend. For more information - or for help - please visit The Trevor Project website: http://www.thetrevorproject.org

Please add me (Davey Wavey) on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DaveyWaveyOfficial

Music: Kevin MacLeod - Decisions & Arcadia http://incompetech.com

YouTube: [CNN: Documentary on Reparative Therapy] AC360 - The 'Sissy Boy' Experiment - Part Three (Ryan Kendall)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI6-g5hnRmg&feature=autoshare



In 1970, a five-year-old boy named Kirk Murphy was subjected to an ex-gay experiment. Under the care of Dr Ivor Lovaas and George Rekers, then a doctoral student, of UCLA, he underwent therapy to eliminate supposed effeminate behaviors. In 1974, Lovaas and Rekers jointly published a paper about the boy they renamed "Kraig," heralding his treatment for "childhood cross-gender problems" a success and claiming he had been transformed from a gender-confused homosexual-in-waiting to a healthy, heterosexual young man. On the back of this study, Rekers built a career as an anti-gay activist and a supposed expert in childhood sexual development. He co-founded the Family Research Council and championed reparative therapy to turn gay men straight. In 2003, Kirk, aged 38 years old and gay, committed suicide.

Times: Gay 'conversion' therapy can cause great psychological harm and suicides

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110529/letters/Gay-conversion-therapy-can-cause-great-psychological-harm-and-suicides.367817
Sunday, May 29, 2011 , by Dr Patrick Attard, Naxxar

I find Mark-Anthony Falzon's column very interesting, but I strongly disagree with his May 15 contribution 'Thou shalt arise and be gay'.

He mentions Pastor Gordon John Manché and gay conversion therapies and claims that gay rights groups should not hinder his right to express himself freely.

Gay conversion or reparative therapies cause significant harm to the person's well-being and have been linked to a higher number of suicides and psychological problems in 'converted' people.

This wouldn't be significant unless we note that last year, more than a quarter of all the suicide victims in Malta were gay people.

It is frightening that a gay youth is five times more likely to commit suicide in Malta. Not to mention the number of people who do not reach that point but have significant emotional problems. I appeal to all parents whose teenager tells them s/he is gay not to take them to such conversion therapy gatherings, which, albeit well-intentioned, may cause irreparable harm.

Behind every suicide there is a wrecked family suffering in silence.

For more information on gay suicides in Malta and abroad, visit: http://patrickattard.blogspot.com/search/label/Suicide.

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

It-Torċa: Is-suwiċidji tal-‘gays’

Mill-Paġna ta' Fr Colin ippubblikata fil-ħarga ta' It-Torċa tal-Ħadd, 13 ta' Marzu 2011
(S'issa ghadha mhix on-line)

Fr Colin,

GĦADNI kif smajt bl-aħbar ta’ ħabib tiegħi li qatel lilu nnifsu b’overdose għax ma felaħx jgħix iżjed bil-kritika li kellu minn nies tal-knisja. Kien omosesswali u kien jipprova jaħbi u ma jgħid lil ħadd. Kien iżomm kollox ġo fih u fl-aħħar ma setax jibqa’ jgħix iżjed dejjem bl-istress u jħossu mwarrab minn kulħadd.
Jien kont l-ikbar ħabib tiegħu u kien jgħidli bid-dwejjaq u d-dipressjoni li kien jinsab fiha. Għedtlu jmur ikellem lil saċerdot – mar... u iktar ħareġ iħossu agħar minn qabel. Il-qassis qallu li huwa marid, li hu ‘gay’ mhux għax twieled hekk imma għax irid. Beda jħossu iktar li ħadd ma jista’ jifhmu u s-solitudni wasslitu biex ineħħi ħajtu.
Xeba’ jgħix u ddeċieda li jgħid daqshekk.
Fr Colin, ma taħsibx li l-Knisja taħti ta’ dan kollu? Min ħoloq dan il-preġudizzju kontra l-gays u tagħmlulhom ħajjithom disperament kontinwu? Min jgħidilhom li qegħdin jgħixu fid-dnub u huma misħuta minn Alla?
Nixtieqek tikkummenta fuq din l-istorja tal-ħabib tiegħi għax ma rridx li jkun hemm traġedji oħra bħalu minħabba fl-intolleranza u l-ġudizzji tal-Maltin.


Ħabib imweġġa’ ħafna

************

Fr Colin iwieġeb

Kull suwiċidju huwa eżami tal-kuxjenza ta’ kulħadd

Iva, inħossni wkoll ħati ta’ dan is-suwiċidju.
Nista’ nagħmel iżjed biex ngħin lil dawk li jridu jisimgħuni dwar xi tfisser preġudizzji, ġudizzji u kundanni.
Nista’ nagħmel iżjed biex insemma’ l-leħen ta’ min hu f’minoranza u mwarrab mis-soċjetà.
Diżgrazzjatament, anki n-nies tal-Knisja jgħixu f’din id-dinja mimlija preġudizzji u injoranza u jekk ma nħallux il-valuri ta’ Kristu jmexxuna naqgħu aħna wkoll fil-ġudizzji kulturali u l-kundizzjonamenti tas-soċjetà.
Is-suwiċidju huwa dejjem traġedja, kbira, personali, l-ewwel, imbagħad traġedja għal dawk kollha viċini: l-omm u l-missier, l-aħwa, iz-zijiet, il-familji nvoluti u l-ħbieb li faċli jibqgħu jħarsu u jitħassru u ma jagħmlu xejn.
Kull suwiċidju huwa sejħa għall-eżami tal-kuxjenza ta’ kull wieħed u waħda minna...
Meta nidhru quddiem Alla għandna ħafna xi nwieġbu għal dawk ħutna li huma mwarrba, bla drittijiet, u meqjusa bħala morda u mhux normali.

KullĦadd: Ilni għal dawn l-aħħar sentejn ngħix f'kamra waħda u spiss naħseb fis-suwiċidju

Tappella ghall-karità permezz t'avviż fil-gazzetta

http://www.kullhadd.com/201102122590/Ahbarijiet/ilni-ghal-dawn-l-ahhar-sentejn-nghix-fkamra-wahda-u-spiss-nahseb-fis-suwicidju.html
Saturday, 12 February 2011 18:12 minn Krista Caruana

Fil-jiem li ghaddew waqt li kont qed niftah l-ittri li nircievu bil-posta, sibt ittra partikolari li mill-ewwel gibditli l-attenzjoni. Mhemuza mall-ittra kien hemm avviz klassifikat miktub minn mara ta' 50 sena. Normalment min jibghat avviz klassifikat jaghmel dan ghax ikun irid ibiegh jew jixtri xi haga, izda l-avviz ta' din il-mara kien totalment differenti.

F'dan l-avviz il-mara talbet biex xi proxxmu jaghmel karità maghha u joffrilha post adegwat fejn toqghod minhabba li qed tghix f'zewgt ikmamar zghar u li ghalihom qed thallas kera ta' madwar €400 kull 3 xhur.

Mill-ewwel hadt interess fis-sitwazzjoni li kienet tinsab fiha din il-mara u cempiltilha u ftehmt maghha biex immur inkellimha d-dar.

Kcina bla 'cooker' u kamra tas-sodda bla gwardarobba

L-ghada filghodu mort inhabbat fuq il-bieb tad-dar taghha, jekk tista' ssejhilha dar, ghax l-aktar haga li laqtitni appena fethitli l-bieb u dahhlitni gewwa kienet proprju c-cokon tal-kamra li qed tghix fiha. Mal-ewwel daqqa t'ghajn stajt ninnota lid-dar taghha tikkonsisti f'kamra wahda maqsuma fi tnejn. Parti minnha hemm il-kcina u l-parti l-ohra hemm kamra tas-sodda.

L-ewwel haga li qaltli kif dhalt gewwa kienet "ara naqra f'hiex qed nghix". U bir-ragun. Il-kamra hija nieqsa minn kull tip ta' kumdità. Fil-fatt fejn suppost hemm il-kcina stajt ninnota li l-anqas cooker m'ghandha tant li l-mara jkollha ssajjar fuq speci ta' spiritiera. Mill-banda l-ohra l-ghamara f'dik li suppost hija kamra tas-sodda wkoll hija limitata hafna, tant li l-mara l-anqas biss ghandha fejn terfa' l-hwejjeg u oggetti personali ohra. Il-mizerja tispikka wkoll f'dik li suppost hija kamra tal-banju u li m'hija xejn hlief rokna zghira biswit fejn torqod.

Apparti c-cokon u l-iskumdità, fil-kamra tispikka wkoll in-nuqqas t'arja u d-dlam, hlief ghal ftit dawl li jidhol minn bitha ckejkna hafna li fiha tonxor il-hwejjeg.

Ghal 24 sena shah kont mizzewwga ragel 'gay'

Il-mara qaltli li qatt ma kienet f'sitwazzjoni aghar milli tinsab fiha bhalissa. Qaltli li f'hajjitha kienet rat hafna l-aktar fil-hajja mizzewwga taghha li ntemmet b'separazzjoni ghaxar snin ilu.

Il-mara rrakkuntatli dwar iz-zwieg taghha li ntemm meta skopriet li zewgha kien ilu snin twal jaqlibielha ma' ragel iehor. "Dak iz-zmien kont ghadni zghira. Kelli t-tifla kien li ghad kellha biss 10 snin meta kont qbadt lil zewgi jaqlibhieli mall-habib tieghu li ironikament kien diehel u hiereg id-dar taghna ghax jien minghalija li kien kollega tieghu fuq il-post tax-xoghol.

Qatt ma bsart li bejniethom seta' kien hemm xi haga aktar minn hbiberija. Jien kont iffissata fuq uliedi u forsi li kien ghalhekk li qatt ma ntbaht b'xejn. Imbghad 10 snin ilu, bdejt niftah ghajnejja u qbadtu jaqlibhieli fil-fatt, wara li ghamiltlu l-ghassa. "

Kompliet tispjegali kif appena skopriet li zewgha kien gay, hajjitha kienet spiccat. Ma setghetx tkompli tghix meta kienet taf li missier iz-zewgt uliedha kien dahak biha b'dak il-mod. "Bdejt inbati bid-dipressjoni u spiccajt dipendenti fuq il-kalmanti.

Jien bdejt il-proceduri ghas-separazzjoni u wara li sseparajna, jien u binti morna nghixu f'appartament ghal rasna. It-tifel kien digà kiber u qed jghix wahdu. Ghaddejt 10 snin shah naghmel sagrificcju wiehed wara l-iehor biex inrabbi lil binti.

Kif tista' timmagina, f'10 snin, il-ftit flus li kelli mwarrba taht rasi bdew jitnaqqru ftit ftit sakemm spiccaw ghal kollox. Kien ghalhekk li sentejn ilu tlaqt mill-appartament fejn kont qed noqghod u sibt dawn iz-zewgt ikmamar minhabba li ridt kirja orhos ghax ma kellix aktar minn fejn inhallas."

"Qed nghix bil-pilloli u bl-ilma"

Staqsejtha jekk tistax b'xi mod tghin lilha nnifisha biex ma tibqax f'din is-sitwazzjoni, izda qaltli li apparti l-problemi familjari li ghandha, ghandha wkoll diversi problemi ta' sahha. "Jien nghix bil-pilloli u bl-ilma. Inbati b'hafna mard fosthom diabete, kolesterol, dipressjoni, mard tal-qalb, kif ukoll bl-azma.

Ghal dan il-mard kollu ghandi bzonn niehu hafna medicini. Ghalkemm jiena ntitolata ghal diversi medicini bla hlas, hafna drabi qed nispicca jkolli nixtriehom minn buti minhabba li ma nsibhomx fl-ispizerija tal-gvern.

Fix-xahar jien irrid nghix bi €360 li minnhom irrid inhallas il-bzonnijiet bazici bhall-ikel, xorb u medicini kif ukoll il-kontijiet. L-ahhar kont tad-dawl u l-ilma li rcevejt kien ta' €800 u wara skoprejt li l-kont kien sploda minhabba li kelli hsara fis-sistema tal-ilma. Dan il-kont ma hallastux ghax ma kellix minn fejn. Apparti minn hekk ninsab minghajr linja tat-telefon ghax qatghuli l-linja minhabba li ma hallastx il-kont u ghad irrid naghtihom mal- €200.

Ippruvajt kemm -il darba nipprova nsib xi xoghol part-time biex nghin lili nnifsi, izda dejjem jaghlquli l-bieb f'wicci ghax dejjem igibuli xi skuza fost l-ohrajn li jien ghandi l-età u li jippreferu jimpjegaw xi hadd izghar minni jew inkella lin-negozju sejjer hazin u hadd ma jiflah izid l-impjegati izda hafna qed inaqqsuhom."

"Bghatt 3 ittri lill-Prim Ministru"

Staqsejtha jekk wasslitx l-ilmenti taghha lill-awtoritajiet koncernati. "Jien ilni snin shah nitlob lill-Awtorità tad-Djar biex tiehu inkonsiderazzjoni l-kaz tieghi u forsi tipprovdili akkomodazzjoni alternattiva, izda sal-lum ghadni qed nghix fil-mizerja ta' dawn iz-zewgt ikmamar. Bghatt ukoll 3 ittri lill-Prim Ministru Lawrence Gonzi fejn minkejja li spjegajtlu f'hiex ninsab, sal-lum ghadni ma rcevejt l-ebda risposta minghandu."
"Ta' spiss nahseb fis-suwicidju"

Filwaqt li ghedtilha biex taghmel kuragg, il-mara qaltli li sakemm l-awtoritajiet jibqghu jaghlqulha l-bieb f'wiccha, ma tista' qatt timxi 'l quddiem fil-hajja taghha. "Kemm -il darba nghid li nixtieq li mmut u ta' spiss nahseb fis-suwicidju ghax inhossni xbajt nghix f'din it-tbatija u f'dan il-faqar. L-akbar xewqa li ghandi hija li jkolli post dicenti fejn nghix bit-tama li forsi xi darba nkun nista' nerga' nibni hajti mill-gdid, ghax hajti issa ilha snin twal imkissra u mfarrka", temmet tghidli l-mara.

It-Torċa: [2010] Sena ħelwa għall-gays madwar id-dinja... morra f'Malta

Iż-żwieġ gay jiddaħħal fl-Iżlanda, il-Portugall, l-Arġentina, il-bliet ta' Messiku u Kalifornja. Id-dritt ta' Partnership jiddaħħal fl-Irlanda.

http://www.it-torca.com/news.asp?newsitemid=11035

6.2.2011 minn Dr Inġ. Patrick Attard

IS-SENA 2010 kienet importanti ħafna għall-Komunità Liżbjana, Gay, Bisesswali u Transesswali (LGBT) madwar id-dinja. Iż-żwieġ gay kien introdott fl-Iżlanda, il-Portugal, l-Arġentina, il-Belt ta' Messiku u Kalifornja. 'Partnership' bejn koppji tal-istess sess kien introdott fl-Irlanda.

Il-Portugall daħħal iż-żwieġ minkejja li l-Papa qal li dan hu theddida insidjuża u perikoluża għall-ġid komuni. Fl-Arġentina, il-Kardinal Bergoglio qal li ż-żwieġ bejn koppji gay hu x-xogħol tax-xitan u organizza protesti kbar b'aktar minn 80,000 ruħ fit-toroq tal-Kapitali Buenos Aires. Il-Knisja Kattolika ppruvat kull gambetta possibbli biex dan iż-żwieġ ma jidħolx u ngħaqdet saħansitra mal-Musulmani. Is-Sindku tal-Belt tal-Messiku għamel libell kontra l-isqof tal-Belt wara li qal li ż-żwieġ daħal wara li xxaħħmu l-Imħallfin biex tidħol il-liġi.

F'Kuba, Fidel Castro ħa responsabbiltà tal-persekuzzjoni ta' nies gay taħt ir-reġim tiegħu.

F'Malawi, koppja ta' rġiel gay ingħataw 14-il sena ħabs wara li għamlu ċelebrazzjoni simbolika ta' żwieġ. Huma nħelsu wara maħfra presidenzjali. Kien hemm pressjoni mill-Ġnus Magħquda li sejħu din is-sentenza bħala preċedent perikoluż.

Ħafna nies kienu msawta u arrestati wara li l-Pulizija waqqfet Gay Pride fil-Belarus.

Attivisti Gay ġo Moska kienu arrestati minn Pulizija Russa. Dawn l-attivisti kienu qed jipprotestaw fuq l-imġieba tas-Sindku li wera ħafna mibgħeda lejn l-omosesswali. Il-Qorti Ewropea tad-Drittijiet tal-Bniedem ordnat kumpens lil dawn l-attivisti.

Il-Parlament Ewropew irid li l-pajjiżi fl-Unjoni Ewropea jirrikonoxxu relazzjonijiet bejn persuni tal-istess sess. Wara dan il-vot il-Kummisjoni Ewropea se tkompli taħdem fuq ir-rikonoxximent ta' partnerships jew żwiġijiet f'pajjiżi differenti għad-drittijiet ta' koppji tal-istess sess fl-Unjoni Ewropea.

Il-President tal-Istati Uniti, Barack Obama ħa sehem fil-kampanja 'It Gets Better' kontra s-suwiċidiji ta' persuni gay. Il-kampanja kienet organizzata wara s-suwiċidju ta' Tyler Clementi, student tal-mużika. Il-President Obama ukoll temm il-Policy Don't Ask Don't Tell fl-armata fejn persuni gay li ma ħbewx l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħhom m'għandhomx għalfejn jibżgħu li se jitkeċċew mill-armata.

Il-Knisja Kattolika kkawżat rabja kbira bl-iskandlu tal-abbuż sesswali fuq it-tfal. Il-Kardinal Bertone (In-numru tnejn tal-Papa) ddikjara li l-omosesswalità hi il-kawża tal-abbużi u ddefenda ċ-ċelibat. Il-kumment ħoloq rabja fost gruppi tad-drittijiet tal-persuni gay li qalu li l-iskandlu tal-abbuż sesswali minn membri tal-kleru mhux problema omosesswali.

Franza ikkundannat lill-Vatikan li pprova jitfa l-ħtija fuq il-qassisin gay. Wara, il-Kardinali Herranz u Sodano ddikjaraw li hawn kampanja ta' mibgħeda kontra l-Knisja Kattolika. Iżda l-Knisja Kattolika tal-Ingilterra u Wales qalet li ma taqbilx mal-kummenti tal-Kardinal Bertone. Father Marcus Stock qal li m'hemm l-ebda informazzjoni empirika li tgħaqqad l-omosesswalità mal-pedofelija. Il-Vatikan wara tbiegħed mill-kummenti ta' Bertone.

F' Malta Fr. Renè Camilleri f'intervista f'April qal li ma jaħsibx li l-omosesswalità hi l-problema. Id-deputat Helena Dalli kellha kliem iebes lejn il-Kardinal Bertone u qalet li l-Knisja tmur pass 'il quddiem u pass lura.

Il-Papa Benedittu XVI żar Malta u r-Renju Unit, fejn kien hemm protesti kontrih u fi Spanja ntlaqa' b' koppji gay jitbewsu fit-toroq li għadda minnhom. Is-sena spiċċat tajjeb għall-Papa li ammetta fil-Ktieb "Light of the World" li l-kondom jista' jintuża biex ikun evitat il-virus tal-AIDS. Qabel kien qajjem rabja fi triqtu lejn il-Kamerun fl-2009, meta kien qal li l-kondom ixerred il-virus.

U bil-ħaqq, Ricky Martin qalilna li hu gay u Elton John sar missier.

...morra f'Malta

Is-sena 2010 ma kienet tajba xejn għall-komunità LGBT Maltija.

Ftit ġranet ilu sirna nafu li mill-inqas 8 mil-31 suwiċidji li saru matul is-sena li għaddiet kienu minn persuni gay. Din hi figura tal-biżà meta tqis li 25% tas-suwiċidji saru minn 5% tal-popolazzjoni. Din hi figura allarmanti mmens u filwaqt li għandna nipproteġu l-privatezza tal-familja nvoluta ma jfissirx li m'għandna nagħmlu xejn. Wara kull mewta hemm familja mkissra u ma rridux ninsew li għal kull mewta hemm ħafna oħrajn li qegħdin ibatu iżda ma jaslux sa din l-estremità.

Intant, f'Jannar attivisti Gay oġġezzjonaw għall-kummenti tal-President George Abela meta kien qiegħed jagħti definizzjoni tal-familja.

Fi Frar, il-Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista (PL) Joseph Muscat qal li m'hemmx post għal nies li jobgħodu lill-gays fil-moviment ġdid tal-Labour. Hu qal ukoll li jrid Stat Sekulari bi ħbiberija mal-Knisja Kattolika.

Ktieb storiku

F'Marzu ħareġ ktieb fuq l-istorja Maltija rigward l-omosesswalità. 'Queer Mediterranean Memories' miktub mill-avukat Joseph Carmel Chetcuti ħoloq kontroversja għax fost ħafna affarijiet kien hemm li San Ġorġ Preca kien gay. Dan il-ktieb kien ikkundanndat mill-isqfijiet Maltin. Din il-kundanna kienet mogħtija prominenza fil-gazzetta 'IL-MUMENT' li s-soltu kważi qatt ma tikteb aħbarijiet fuq il-komunità gay.

Rapport fuq il-BBC dwar il-militari fl-Ewropa qal li nies gay ma jistgħux iservu apertament f'Malta. Dan kien miċħud mill-Forzi Armati ta' Malta li qalet li ma tagħmel l-ebda diskriminizazzjoni kontra nies gay u għandha attitudni "Live and Let Live" (Għix u ħalli lil min jgħix).

Karl Gouder (PN) kien elett fil-Parlament bħala l-ewwel deputat apertament gay. Sa issa jidher li ma għamel xejn għall-komunità gay.

Id-deputat Laburista Adrian Vassallo qal li jippreferi joqgħod fl-Iran. Forsi għandu jistaqsi lil Ebrahim Hamidi li kien se jiġi mgħallaq għax kien omosesswali.

Cyrus Engerer, kunsillier Nazzjonalista li ddikjara li hu gay qal li jaħsibha jibdilx għall-Partit Laburista jekk dan jirrikonoxxi żwieġ bejn koppji tal-istess sess. Il-Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista reġa' kkonferma li lest li joffri Partnership mingħajr adozzjoni. Cyrus Engerer qajjem kontroversja meta bies lill-partner tiegħu waqt il-gay pride u kumbinazzjoni deher fuq il-kamera tat-televiżjoni. Il-kunsilliera Sandra Camilleri qalet li Engerer kellu jitkeċċa mill-Parit Nazzjonalista talli wera l-attitudni tiegħu.

B'turija ta' rispett, lejn il-komunità Gay f'Malta, il-British High Commission tellgħet il-bandiera tal-qawsalla waqt il-ġimgħa tal-Gay Pride.

Ġo l-istat ta' Victoria, Awstralja, id-deputat sindku ta' Hobson Bay, Tony Briffa li twielet b'kundizzjoni Intersex iddikjara l-ġeneru tiegħu u qal li dejjem kellu jiġġieled biex isib lilu innifsu. Qal li ma kinetx fuq jekk isirx raġel iżda li kellu jsib lilu innifsu u mhux kif interferew it-tobba.

Reliġjon u Pulizija

F'mument rari ta' għaqda, il-mexxejja Musulmani u Kattoliċi Maltin ingħaqdu kontra ż-żwieġ gay. Il-qbil waqaf meta bdew jitkellmu fuq id-divorzju. Umanisti u attivisti gay iddeploraw dawn il-kummenti.

F'artiklu fit-TORĊA, Maria Borg Vella sabet li ma tistax tbus lill-partner tiegħek gay fil-pubbliku f' Ħal Qormi għax il-Pulizija jiġu għalik dak il-ħin stess iżda mhux daqshekk ħażin il-Belt, San Pawl il-Baħar u ż-Żejtun.

Parlament

Id-deputat Nazzjonalista Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando ppreżenta abozz ta' liġi għall-introduzzjoni tad-divorzju. F'Awwissu Mons. Gouder kien ikkwotat jgħid li dawk li jivvutaw favur id-divorzju ikunu qed jagħmlu dnub u dan qajjem reazzjoni qawwija.

Iktar 'il quddiem Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando ppreżenta abbozz ta' liġi mad-deputat Laburista Evarist Bartolo. Bartolo ukoll ippreżenta abozz ta' liġi li jipproteġi lil nies transesswali.

Id-Deputat Laburista Owen Bonnici staqsa lil Ministru tar-Riżorsi il-Perit George Pullicino jekk jiddiskriminax fuq bażi ta' orjentazzjoni sesswali meta jimpjega nies fis-segretarjat privat tiegħu. Ir-risposta kienet Le.

Evarist Bartolo staqsa lill-Ministru tal-Ġustizzja meta Malta se tagħti drittijiet lil koppji tal-istess sess u semma l-Irlanda bħala eżempju fejn il-Partnership ċivili kien għadu kif ġie introdott. Il-Ministru qal li dak li jiġri f'pajjiżi oħra m'għandux effett fuq Malta.

Bil-ħaqq, il-Prim Ministru wiegħed f'Mejju li għadda li sa l-aħħar tal-2010 kienet se tkun introdotta l-Liġi tal-Koabitazzjoni. S'issa lanqas l-abbozz ta' liġi ma kien ippreżentat.

Qorti Konstituzzjonali

Joanne Cassar, mara li twieldet b'organi sesswali ta' raġel u li għamlet l-operazzjonijiet meħtieġa biex il-ġisem tagħha jkun konformi ma' l-identità tagħha kienet għamlet l-aħbarijiet meta rebħet id-dritt li jinbidel iċ-ċertifikat ta-twelid u l-Karta ta' l-Identità. Madanakollu hi kienet imwaqqfa milli tiżżewweġ.

Rebħet id-dritt li tiżżewweġ f'Diċembru iżda l-Avukat Ġenerali appella, u l-appell se jinstema' l-14 ta' Frar, jum il-maħbubin!

L-Avukat Ġenerali fl-Appell tiegħu qal li jekk nagħtu d-dritt lil Joanne biex tiżżewweġ, ikunu jridu jiżżewġu ukoll l-gays u dan imur kontra l-Ordni Pubblika Maltija.

Intant, il-politika fuq is-saħħa sesswali kient ippreżentata wara għaxar snin, iżda l-kontenut kien muri lill-Kurja li naqqset s-sustanza.

Min-naħa l-oħra l-Ministru ta' l-Edukazzjoni, Dolores Cristina qalet li l-Kumissjoni għall-Promozzjoni tal-Ugwaljanza (NCPE) għandha tinkludi l-orjentazzjoni sesswali fil-kompetenza tagħha. Dan hu l-uniku sinjal pożittiv tal-Gvern Nazzjonalista fl-2010. Insomma, din m'għandha tissorprendi lil ħadd jekk il-Gvern Nazzjonalista jara l-omosesswalità bħala realtà ġdida skont il-kunsillier tax-Xagħra, Għawdex, Kevin Cutajar. Bil-ħaqq, issa l-Gvern jinteressah x'nagħmlu fil-kamra tas-sodda.

Il-Malta Gay Rights Movement stqarret li hemm diskriminazzjoni kbira kontra l-komunità LGBT fl-isferi kollha. Il-każ ta' raġel li kellu jagħżel bejn il-ġenituri anzjani u l-partner barrani hu l-aktar wieħed tal-biki. Dan il-każ kien żvelat minn Victor Vella fit-TORĊA f'Mejju li għadda. Il-kumpassjoni Maltija marret il-baħar.

Kif tista' ma ċċempilx!

Nota: Dan it-tagħrif inġabar mill-Inġinier u attivist gay Patrick Attard. Tista' taqra l-artikli li fuqhom ibbażat ir-Round-Up 2010 hawn: http://patrickattard.blogspot.com

Independent UK: Why is it wrong to protect gay children?

To justify their discrimination against gay people, these few homophobes concoct a scenario in which they are The Real Victims

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-why-is-it-wrong-to-protect-gay-children-2196470.html

28.1.2011 by Johann Hari

I am exhausted. I have spent all week trying to brainwash small children into being gay, by relentlessly inserting homosexuality into their maths, geography and science lessons. Their little eyes widened when the gay algebra lesson started, but it worked: their concept of “normal sexual behaviour” has been successfully destroyed. It’s all part of the program brilliantly co-ordinated by the Homintern to imposed The Gay Agenda on Every Aspect of British Life.

That, at least, is what you would believe if you had read some of Britain’s best-selling newspapers this week, or listened to some prominent Tory politicians. The headlines were filled with fury. The Conservative MP Richard Drax said gays were trying to impose “questionable sexual standards” on kids, while the Daily Mail said we were mounting a massive “abuse of childhood.”

Related articles

• Targeted by gay-hate paper, then murdered in his home
• First charges brought under 'gay hatred' law
• Search the news archive for more stories

Here’s what is actually happening. A detailed study by the Schools Health Education Unit found that in Britain today, 70 percent of gay children get bullied, 41 percent get beaten up, and 17 percent get told at some point in their childhood that they are going to be killed.

I’ll tell you the story of just one of them. Jonathan Reynolds was a 15-year old boy from Bridgend in South Wales who was accused – accurately or not, we’ll never know – of being gay. He was yelled at for being a “faggot” and a “poof”. So one day, he sat a GSCE exam – later graded as an A - and went to the train tracks near his school and lay on them. He texted his sister: “Tell everyone that this is for anybody who eva said anything bad about me, see I do have feelings too. Blame the people who were horrible and injust to me, see I do have feeling too. Blame the people who were horrible and injust to me. This is because of them, I am human just like them. None of you blame yourself, mum, dad, Sam and the rest of the family. This is not because of you.” And then the train killed him.

I guess nobody told Jonathan Reynolds that, as the columnist Melanie Phillips put it, “just about everything in Britain is now run according to the gay agenda.” The great Gay Conquest didn’t make it from her imagination to his playground, or any playground in Britain. Gay kids are six times more likely to commit suicide than their straight siblings. Every week, I get emails from despairing gay kids who describe being thrown against lockers, scorned by their teachers if they complain, and – in some faith schools – told they will burn in Hell. Every day they have to brave playgrounds where the worst insult you can apply is to call something “gay”. They feel totally lost. This could have been your child, or my child, or Melanie Phillips’ child.

Is it “political correctness” and “McCarthyism” to try to ensure these kids can feel safe in their own schools – or is it basic decency? A few very mild proposals were made this week for how to change the attitudes behind this. They came from an excellent organization called Schools Out, which is run with a small grant from the tax-payer. They gave out a voluntary information pack in which they suggested that, to mark LGBT History Month, teachers acknowledge the existence of gay people in their lessons. They could teach in history about how Alan Turing played a vital role in saving the world from the Nazis and paved the way for the invention of the computer, only to be hounded to death for being gay. They could learn in science that homosexuality occurs in hundreds of species of animals. They could – yes! – maybe even look in maths lessons at the census data, figuring out how prevalent gay people are.

We know that these lessons work in making gay kids much safer. The Schools Health Education Unit found that homophobic violence was dramatically lower in schools that taught about homosexuality. Good schools like Stoke Newington Secondary that followed this program were assessed to have “virtually eliminated homophobic bullying.” That has a very powerful educational purpose: when gay kids feel safe, they can learn.

Yet these pragmatic policies to make kids safe were presented as a wicked plot to endanger children. We can’t stop the endemic intimidation and violence if every time there is a policy to do it, it is grossly distorted and demonized in this way. The critics even whispered that gays want to “impose” sexuality on kids – with hints of the ugliest and oldest lie about gay men, that they are paedophiles.

Yet in one strange way, the current backlash is reassuring. When I was a kid in the 1980s, these sentiments were so widespread that a law – Section 28 – was passed to resolve them, and the cowed critics were derided as “the loony left.” Today, the opinion polls show 80 percent of the British people support gay marriage, and the people offering these views are regarded as the loons. It’s worth pausing and saying to all the people who have been open to persuasion and have changed their minds on this question: thank you. It’s incredibly moving to see how many heterosexual people have rallied to the defence of gay people, and it’s a reminder that we will never go back now.

But this anti-equality shouting still has an effect. It stops many schools from pursuing sensible policies that would save kids like Jonathan Reynolds, for fear of being accused of “political correctness gone mad” – so it’s important to answer the arguments now.

These critics don’t appear to understand what homosexuality actually is. In every human society that has ever existed, and ever will, some 3 to 10 percent of the population has wanted to have sex with their own gender. This is a fixed and unchangeable reality. The only choice is whether you are pointlessly cruel to them, or accept their harmless difference. Homosexuality is “normal sexual behaviour”: it occurs wherever human societies exist. It is not engaged in by a majority, but using that logic, Jews and Muslims are “abnormal” in Britain too – an ugly and foolish claim.

Informing children about these facts can’t make them gay. Nothing can. You can no more teach a child homosexuality than you can teach them left-handedness. Oddly, the homophobes seem to understand this about their own sexuality, but not about other people’s. I once asked Michael Howard, the architect of Section 28, if he would be gay now if he had been taught to be as a child. He moved very anxiously in his seat and mumbled something incoherent.

In order to justify their desire to discriminate against gay people, the few remaining homophobes have concocted a scenario where they are The Real Victims. They can say what they want, set up churches or mosques that preach what they want, and turn away gay people from their homes every day of the week if they so desire – and I would defend every one of those rights to the last ditch. There is only one thing they can’t do. They can’t choose to offer a service to the general public, and then turn people away on the basis of race or sexuality. They can’t put up de facto signs saying ‘No blacks, no Irish, no gays’ at their B&B.

This isn’t a form of prejudice – it is a way of preventing prejudice. Nobody will ever force you to work in a registry office or open a B&B, but if you choose to, you can’t reject the gay couples and expect to remain in post. (In one case where this happened, they offered her a job in the office instead, but she chose to be a bizarre cause célèbre of prejudice instead.) Services for the general public have to be available without contamination by bigotry. It’s a simple principle. Don’t demand the right to spit in the face of gay people, and claim you’re being picked on when you’re asked to stop.

Yes, I know your religious texts mandate bigotry against gay people. They also mandate slavery and stoning adulterers, and they laud a God who feeds small children to bears (see II Kings ii, 23-24). As secular morality has evolved, you have managed to overcome those beliefs. Here’s another that has to catch up. If you are really going to defend Biblical or Koranic literalism, you’ll end up as Stephen Green, head of the tiny Christian Voice sect, who argues that there is biblical authority for the legalisation of rape by husbands. So febrile is the atmosphere in Uganda that David Kato, the incredibly brave campaigner for gay equality, was just lynched as part of the hate-wave.

When people say that a “deeply held religious conviction” should enable you to break anti-discrimination laws and treat gay people as second class citizens, I reply – what about the Mormons? Until 1975, they believed black people did not have souls. (They only changed their minds when the Supreme Court ruled it illegal, and God conveniently appeared to say they did have souls after all.) Should they have been allowed to run adoption agencies that refused to give babies to black people, because of their “deeply held religious conviction”?

But there is an even lower point in the homophobes’ rhetorical arsenal. Being subjected to bullying and violence as children and teenagers makes gay people unusually vulnerable to depression and despair. The homophobes then use that depression and despair to claim that homosexuality is inherently a miserable state – and we shouldn’t do anything that might “encourage” it. They create misery, and then use it as a pretext to create even more misery.

Yet Melanie Phillips, Richard Drax and the last raging band of homophobes are right about one thing. There is a “Gay Agenda.” They are only wrong about its contents. It has one item on the list, and one item only: to ensure that gay people are treated exactly the same as everybody else. That’s it. That’s all. That’s the sum total of our ambitions. To get there we may – yes – have to mention the existence of gay people in schools. It is the only way to save kids like Jonathan Reynolds, and make sure everyone knows – as he said in his final text, before the train hit – “I am human just like them.”

POSTSCRIPT

As a side-note, it’s especially galling to be accused of endangering children by Melanie Phillips, the journalist in Britain who has done more to recklessly endanger children than any other I can think of. She was the leading journalistic champion of the false claim that the MMR vaccine causes autism. She refused to listen to the overwhelming scientific consensus and instead promoted the claims of a fraudster called Andrew Wakefield. After she played a key role in spreading and popularizing his claims, the rate of children being vaccinated plummeted, and several have died.

Even after the British Medical Journal concluded that Wakefield staged an “elaborate fraud”, she has refused to apologise. I’d say persuading parents not to give their kids a life-saving vaccine based on the claims of a charlatan was a bigger “abuse of childhood” than teaching them that gay people exist, wouldn’t you?

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

Malta Today: Discrimination kills

Malta Today January 23 2011 by Evarist Bartolo
[This article is not online at Malta Todays's website so far.]

In the first 10 months of last year 28 persons committed suicide in Malta. At least eight of them were young gays driven to suicide by the bullying and violence they have to face in the family, at school and on the place of work. Very little is being done to combat discrimination against gays and transgender persons in Malta. Last October the US Obama administration launched a campaign against homophobic bullying after a spate of reports of bullied lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-students committing suicide during 2010.

President Obama recorded a video for the ‘It Gets Better’ project which consists of a comprehensive guide how civil rights law applies to schools, colleges and university campuses. It also tells teachers and university officials how federal law regards situations of harassment and discrimination, and how institutions should deal with such cases. In his ‘It Gets Better’ video, the president said he was “shocked” and “saddened” by the suicide reports and urged depressed teenagers to seek help.

The project seeks to make teachers understand that in cases of discriminatory bullying, it may not be enough to reprimand perpetrators. Counselling bullies, labelling the incidents as discriminatory and encouraging other students to report incidents are some of the guidelines. We have no similar project in Malta to tackle the pervasive problem of homophobic bullying.

A few days ago a delegation from the Catholic gay and transgender group Drachma met Labour leader Dr Joseph Muscat, Gino Cauchi and I. They shocked us by telling us about the high rate of suicide by young gays. At least 25% of the persons who committed suicide in Malta in 2010 were gays who make up only five per cent of the population. Drachma urged us to put measures to fight discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender persons at the top of our agenda if we want to really create a more democratic, open and inclusive society.

They want an active state that will work hand in hand with NGOs to make homophobic bullying unacceptable in Malta and sponsor services to help young gays grow into free and happy persons who are treated with respect and dignity like other human beings. Drachma told us that the remit of the National Commission for the Promotion of Equality needs to be widened and include also action to defeat discrimination against people because of their sexual orientation.

Transgender people find it very difficult to find a job, even if they are very qualified. They suffer poverty and social exclusion. They are often humiliated and ridiculed. Many of them have tried to commit suicide, and some of them manage to kill themselves to escape a cruel society that has no place for them. Some have to go abroad to try and build a new life where they can be themselves. Some transgender persons are pushed to drugs, crime and prostitution.

A few days before the meeting with Drachma I saw a letter written by a transgender person who is in prison at Corradino and who “has not yet completed her full female transformation.” She writes: “The officials are making my life hell, insulting me, treating me as dirt and as an inferior human being with all the worst comments that you can imagine.”

She is called “a mistake made by nature” and denied a hair blower, eye liner and make up” and has to shower with men even though she has breasts. “They stop my visits and just fill me up with pills to sleep.”

I am told that there is more than one transgender person who is treated like this in prison. The Malta Gay Rights’ Movement has tried to intervene on their behalf but they have achieved very little as the authorities do not even bother to give them an appointment to meet, let alone to hear about these injustices and address them.

Drachma spoke to us of other injustices against gays outside prison: openly gay persons are not employed by some Church schools or asked to leave if they have a partner or are living with a partner.

We also discussed how the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community can contribute to society. The most successful societies that generate wealth and a high quality of life are those that embrace diversity and creativity where everyone participates in the exchange of ideas and cultural life in a spirit of openness. Such societies have no space for homophobia and celebrate people who are different but treated as equal.

62 years ago, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, who chaired the Human Rights Commission in its first years, asked, "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighbourhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world."

MaltaStar: Intolerance remains major obstacle for gays

http://maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=13804
16 January 2011 09:48

Intolerance towards gay is pushing thousands to commit suicide every year all over Europe. In malta last year at least 8 homosexual people committed suicide. Experts claim that these numbers are a direct result of the intolerance shown by Maltese society towards gay people.

In Europe, around 58,000 people commit suicide each year. This number is higher than the number of people who die in traffic accidents or those who die of AIDS.

Bullying in schools, familiar and personal crises are common factors which can lead to suicide, especially in the case where the individual involved is homosexual.

A campaign called It Gets Better has been launched in the USA, which campaign is aimed at encouraging gay young people to refuse to give up on life. Authorities are tkaing it seriously and even President Obama is on board.

In a special message to encourage this campaign, Obama said, “I don't know what is it like to grow up as a gay but I know what is it like to grow up feeling sometimes you don’t belong”.

In Malta, many gay activists believe that the influence of both the Church and the government have contributed to gay people feeling excluded from mainstream society.

Mario Gerada, a gay activist, succinctly described the current situation in the following manner; “The Church looks at the homosexual as a defective heterosexual, and it does this in an official manner.”

Psychologist Antione Spiteri said that suicide rates rise when individuals feel that the law does not respect them for what they are. Speaking on a personal level, he said that he felt that he needed to leave the island because he was not comfortable living here. This particular phenomenon is known as gay drain, where individuals who have a lot to offer their native country are nevertheless forced to leave because of their homosexuality. It is tragic that, in this day and age, we are faced with eight suicides in one year that are all related to the fact that the individual was homosexual.

See also:

MaltaStar: Suicides twice as high as fatal traffic accidents

Round-up 2010: Interesting year for the 'Gay-Agenda'

Gay-Marriage introduced in Iceland - Portugal - Argentina - Mexico-City - California and Civil-partnership introduced in Ireland

3rd January 2011 by Dr Inġ. Patrick Attard

International

2010 has been a very successful year for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) world. Gay Marriage has been introduced in Iceland, Portugal, Argentina, Mexico-City and California. Civil-partnership was introduced in Ireland.

Portugal ratified the law even though Pope Benedict XVI said that it's an insidious and dangerous threat to the common good. Argentina's Cardinal Bergoglio said that gay marriage is the work of the devil and organised massive street protests. Mexico-City's mayor sued the Catholic bishop over gay marriage allegations that judges were bribed in order to introduce the law.

In Cuba, Fidel Castro took 'responsibility' for the persecution of Cuban gays.

In Malawi, a gay couple was jailed for 14 years for getting married. The couple was freed after being pardoned by the President who came under pressure from the international community including the United Nations, which had called the sentence a dangerous precedent.

In Belarus, the police violently cracked-down on gay rights' demonstration. Several people were beaten and arrested.

Russian police detained gay activists in Moscow. The activists had been protesting against the mayor's homophobic views. In an interesting twist, the European Court of Human Rights upheld three complaints over the ban on gay Pride marches which was a major legal victory for Russian Gay Rights campaigners who were awarded compensation.

The European Parliament wants EU countries to recognise existing same-sex unions. The EP reaffirmed that the effects of civil documents (birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, etc.) must remain the same throughout the European Union. This implies that all couples, including same-sex couples in marriages or civil partnerships must retain their rights in all EU countries. Following this vote, the European Commission will propose ways to enable mutual recognition of all partnerships and marriages throughout the EU.

US President Barack Obama took part in the 'It Gets Better' campaign against gay suicides which was launched after the suicide of Tyler Clementi. President Obama ended the 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' policy banning gays from serving in the military.

The Catholic Church caused a huge international outrage after the growing child abuse scandal when the Pope’s No. 2 (Card. Tarcisio Bertone) declared that paedophilia was linked to homosexuality, not celibacy. The comment drew gay groups' anger which claimed that the Catholic Church Sex Scandal Is Not a "Homosexual" Problem. France condemned the Vatican for blaming gay priests. Later on, cardinals decried 'campaign of hatred' against church but after critisism from the Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Vatican distanced itself from prelate's gay remarks. Malta's Fr Renè Camilleri said that he doesn't believe that homosexuality is the problem. Hon. Helena Dalli (PL) had strong words about Bertone's claims saying that the Church goes one step forward and one back.

Pope Benedict XVI also visited Malta, the UK where protests were organised and Spain where he was greeted with a gay kiss-in. The year ended well for Pope Benedict XVI who admitted that condoms can can used to prevent AIDS after all. He had previously caused outrage by saying that condoms spread AIDS, on the way to Africa in 2009. He also had a superb Christmas show with four half-naked hunks.

Malta

In January Gay rights activists objected to President Abela's definition of marriage.

In February, Dr Joseph Muscat said that there is no place for homophobes in Labour's new movement and that he wants a Secular State with a friendly relationship with the Church.

In March a book on Maltese gay history, Queer Mediterranean Memories was launched in March [Malti]. It stirred a controversy for claiming that Malta's St. Preca was gay. The book was condemned by the Maltese Bishops.

A EU-wide report said that gays are not allowed to serve openly in armed forces. However, the

Armed Forces of Malta denied that it discriminates against gays.

Karl Gouder (PN) was elected as the first openly gay MP but he has done absolutely nothing for the LGBT community so far.

Labour's Adrian Vassallo said that he prefers to live in Iran. Maybe he should ask Ebrahim Hamidi was going to be hung because he was accused of being gay.

Cyrus Engerer an openly gay PN councillor said he would switch to Labour if it offered gay-marriage on its manifesto. At the moment the Labour Party offers a civil partnership with no adoption rights. Mr Engerer drew controversy for kissing his partner during the gay pride. Former PN councillor Sandra Camilleri claimed that he should have been thrown out of the PN for his unchristian attitude.

As a sign of respect, the Birtish High Commission in Malta flew the rainbow flag for the Gay Pride Week.

In Victoria, Australia, Hobson's Bay Deputy Mayor, Tony Briffa born with an intersex condition went boldly as 'other'. He claimed "I fought to be me. It wasn't so much about me becoming Tony, a male; it was more about finding out who I was meant to be had doctors not interfered." [Malti].

Religion:

In a rare moment of unity, both Muslims and Catholics united against gay marriage. They disagreed on divorce. Humanists and gay rights activists deplored the statements which were made by the religious leaders.

Police:

In a mind-blowing news article in It-Torċa, it was discovered that you can't kiss your gay partner in public in Qormi, the Police will come straight away, but it's not so bad in Valletta, St. Paul's Bay or Żejtun.

Parliament:

Jeffery Pullicino Orlando (PN) presented a divorce bill. Mgr Anton Gouder claimed that those voting for divorce would be committing a sin creating a strong reaction. Later on J. Pullicino Orlando presented a modified Bill with PL's MP Evarist Bartolo. Mr Bartolo also presented a Gender Identity Bill in December. Dr Owen Bonnici asked Minister Pullicino whether he discriminates against sexual orientation when employing people in his secretariat. The answer was No. Evarist Bartolo asked Justice Minister Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici when the Maltese Parliament would put forward a clear signal that equal rights to same-sex couples cannot be held back by people hiding behind religious beliefs and prejudice. MP Bartolo mentioned the case of Ireland, where civil partnership had just been introduced. The Minister's reply was that what happens in foreign countries should have no effect on Malta, and that Maltese legislation and policies are not drafted based on what takes place abroad.

We were promised a Cohabitation Law by year's end, by the Prime Minister himself. Nothing materialised so far.

Constutional Court:
Transsexual Joanne Cassar won the right to marry even though the Attorney General has now appealed.

Health:

A Sexual health policy has finally been launched but its contents have been watered down in order not to offend the Catholic Church.

Equality:

Education Minister Dolores Cristina said that the 'Equality promotion commission should widen its remit' [DOI: Diskors tal-Ministru tal-Edukazzjoni, Onor. Dolores Cristina]. That's the only positive thing our Maltese Government has done for gay people in 2010. Well that's not surprising considering that the PN thinks that gays are a new reality [L-omosesswalità mhix realtà ġdida]. Anyway, the government is now interested in our bedroom after all.

The Malta Gay Rights Movement stated that Major discrimination against gay and lesbian people still takes place in all spheres. The case of a Maltese man who has to choose btween his foreign partner and elderly parents is probably the most sad [Diskriminazzjoni sfaċċata ma’ persuni ‘gay’]. There goes the Maltese compassion. Kif tista' ma ċċempilx!!

By the way,

Ricky Martin is gay and Elton John became dad.

MaltaStar: Suicides twice as high as fatal traffic accidents

http://maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=13088

1. 12. 2010

28 persons were recorded as having committed suicide in the first ten months of 2010, exactly twice as many as died from fatal traffic accidents.

The figure is higher than recorded figures for the whole of 2007. There were 26 suicides in Malta in 2007, according to WHO statistics.

This probably still puts Malta towards the bottom of suicide rates among EU member states.

In 2006 MaltaMedia news reported that Malta had the third lowest suicide rate, according to Eurostat survey figures for 2001-2003.

Suicide was less prevalent in citizens living in Southern European than in other parts of Europe, the survey found.

However as was also pointed out, the Eurostat survey revealed that difficulties of investigation and cultural differences may affect the data for this cause of death.

In Catholic countries such as Malta, suicide is still seen as taboo and families have a tendency to hide evidence of suicide if they can.

There is a strong link between economic downturns and suicide rates, so the current economic climate might be one of the causes of a rise in suicides this year

Anecdotal evidence also suggests that minority groups such as homosexuals, who are not given enough support, also have a higher tendency to commit suicide.

According to an article by Victor Vella, in the Torca said “in recent years a number of gays have committed suicide.”

YouTube: President Obama: It Gets Better [Gay Suicides]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geyAFbSDPVk



As part of the It Gets Better Project, President Obama shares his message of hope and support for LGBT youth who are struggling with being bullied.

Times: Life - Cyberbullying pushes people over the edge

http://www.timesofmalta.com/life/view/20101010/features/cyberbullying-pushes-people-over-the-edge
Published 10.10.10; 15:53; AFP

[Click here to watch the video.]

The shocking death of a college freshman in the United States has cast a spotlight on new and vicious forms of harassment which harness the invasive and omnipresent reach of the Internet.

Eighteen-year-old Tyler Clementi leapt to his death from a New York bridge last week after his sex encounter with another man was broadcast over the Internet, allegedly by fellow students.

Sophisticated technology, social networking sites and a culture of tell-all disclosure have combined to fuel a new level of cyberbullying -- often targeting homosexual youngsters.

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

Change: After suicides, Mormon leader rants against gays

email: mail@change.org
7.10.10

Stand up to Mormon leaders who spread LGBT intolerance

Dear Member,

The recent suicides of several gay teenagers have made national headlines. Yet this is the moment – of all moments – that a top Mormon leader decides to broadcast a verbal rampage against gays to millions of viewers.

Boyd K. Packer, the second-highest leader in the Mormon Church, said in a sermon broadcast to millions this week that same-sex attraction is "impure and unnatural" and can be overcome, and that same-sex unions are morally wrong.

Do we need more proof than the suicides of teens as young as 13 that words like these can do unimaginable damage?

We cannot stay silent. By speaking out together, we can show the Mormon Church hierarchy that it has literally risked the lives of children by inciting their tormentors. And we can ensure that the young people who heard this sermon know that it is scientifically wrong and profoundly misguided.

We can’t let Mr. Packer’s statements stand uncontested. Add your name to the open letter to Boyd Packer and let him know his lies carry real consequences.

Speaking before 20,000 people and broadcasting to millions more, Packer said same-sex unions are "against God's law and nature" – and that the church hierarchy would continue to support marriage bans like Proposition 8 (which was funded largely by Mormons).

Comments like these are exactly what makes young LGBT kids think there's no way out but suicide – that their parents will reject them, that their communities will shun them, and that living openly will bring pain or violence – that even God looks on their very identity as a sin to be "overcome."

And these lies fuel the bullying, harassment, and violence that plague our schools.

Packer's lies have been disproven over and over again by science and by the spiritual experience of Americans who know their LGBT neighbors and care about them. We know sexual orientation cannot and should not be changed and that two people falling in love is beautiful, not evil.

Help us speak out so young people understand the truth – and so that Mormon leaders know that spreading this poison puts lives at risk.

Thank you for helping take a stand for the truth.

- The Change.org Team