Gay Star News: What's it like to be LGBTI in Malta?

http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/whats-like-lgbti-malta/

In 2015, Malta was ranked 1st out of 49 measured countries for its positive record on LGBT rights

Sprout Media

Malta has changed substantially over the last few years for gay people

17 April 2016

by Jack Flanagan

  

What’s it like to be LGBTI in one of the smallest nations in the world?

A new video from Sprout Media asks four students at the University of Malta what life has been like for them growing up.

‘There’s a lot of positive energy’, says filmmaker Alex Caruana of life in Malta for gay people.

‘Things are not perfect, but we have the best laws and activists are coming out to continue the fight for LGBT rights,’ Caruana told Gay Star News by email. ‘People’s approach has changed as well. It’s safe to be LGBT. Malta has changed drastically during these last years.’

MGRM: Questionnaire for HIV+ persons

21st April 2016 by the Malta Gay Rights Movement

The confidential survey below is organised by an HIV subcommittee of MGRM (the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement) which is mapping out the HIV services available in Malta and helping to identify any gaps or deficiencies.

This will hopefully lead to identifying areas where improvement and additional resources need to be provided.

The answers given will remain totally confidential and will be used solely in an aggregated anonymous format.

Most of the questions require a simple YES/NO response, with the scope for some free text input.

The survey can be accessed here: https://farrig.typeform.com/to/TDAK8r

Thank you for choosing to take part in this survey.

MGRM

MGRM provides support services to the LGBTIQ community, should you need of professional social support, contact the Rainbow Support Service on support@maltagayrights.org or 79430006

Guardian: Colombia's highest court paves way for marriage equality in surprise ruling

Magistrates vote against proposal that said marriage applied only to unions between men and women and that it was up to the congress to decide

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/07/colombia-court-gay-marriage-ruling

Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá
Friday 8 April 2016 00.07 BSTLast modified on Friday 8 April 201600.08 BST

 

Colombia could become the fourth Latin American nation to fully allow same-sex marriage. Photograph: John Vizcaino/Reuters
Colombia’s highest court has given the green light to gay marriage in the conservative, mostly Catholic country.

The magistrates of the constitutional court voted six to three against a proposed ruling that said marriage applied only to unions between men and women and that it was up to the congress and not the court to decide on same-sex marriage.

Citizen Go: "For 15 years of my life, I experienced unwanted same-sex attractions."

http://www.citizengo.org/en/fm/33819-sign-here-worlds-largest-psychiatric-organization-condemns-counseling-unwanted-same-sex?

The World Psychiatric Association just made a blanket statement condemning all forms of counseling intended to resolve unwanted same-sex attractions. There is no scientific consensus that unwanted same-sex attractions cannot be resolved through counseling. In fact, 100 years of scientific research shows that for some, therapy can help reduce and/or eliminate homosexual attractions and that heterosexual attractions can increase! The World Psychiatric Association has discounted the thousands of individuals who have successfully resolved unwanted same-sex attraction through freely-chosen counseling. Please ask them to release an apology explaining that this statement was influenced by politics, and not medical facts. SIGN The world’s largest organization of psychiatrists just released a statement condemning all forms ofcounseling intended to resolve unwanted same-sex attraction. Please join us and our friends at Equality And Justice For All and Voice of the Voiceless in speaking out against this incorrect and political statement by the World Psychiatric Association. This statement is a political move, intended to appease the international pro-LGBT lobby. It does not take into account the well-documented benefits of counseling for those who freely choose counseling to resolve unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA). Sign here: http://www.citizengo.org/en/fm/33819-sign-here-worlds-largest-psychiatric-organization-condemns-counseling-unwanted-same-sex Christopher Doyle, Founder of Voice of the Voiceless and Co-Coordinator of the National Task Force for Therapy Equality (#Therapy Equality) with Washington, DC-based Equality And Justice For All, has personally experienced the healing power of counseling for unwanted SSA. He explains: "For 15 years of my life, I experienced unwanted SSA due to childhood sexual abuse and a lack of healthy relationships with men. However, after I sought out licensed therapy, Christian support groups, and healthy friendships with men in my church, I healed the wounds that caused me to be homo-sexually attracted. Today, I have been married to my beautiful wife for almost ten years, and we have five wonderful children! There was absolutely nothing harmful about the help I received; in fact, every aspect of my life has improved because of this help and support.” Sign here: http://www.citizengo.org/en/fm/33819-sign-here-worlds-largest-psychiatric-organization-condemns-counseling-unwanted-same-sex Organizations like the Equality And Justice for All, Voice of the Voiceless, and the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity advocate that counseling can be an effective means of resolving unwanted SSA. Indeed, Christopher’s story is one of many that the World Psychiatric Association has completely discounted in their condemnation of all counseling that helps resolve unwanted SSA. The World Psychiatric Association has bought into the lie that same-sex attractions must always be embraced, regardless of one’s religious beliefs, family life, or other desires. They want to rob people who deal with unwanted same-sex attractions of the opportunity to participate in counseling. Please join us in defending the benefits of counseling by asking the World Psychiatric Association to rescind their statement. Sign here: http://www.citizengo.org/en/fm/33819-sign-here-worlds-largest-psychiatric-organization-condemns-counseling-unwanted-same-sex When you sign this petition, a letter will be sent directly to the World Psychiatric Association. United, our voices will be heard by the Association and will hopefully cause them to reconsider. Thank you for standing with us in support of this important counseling option and against the politicization of the World Psychiatric Association. Sincerely,  Caroline Craddock and the entire CitizenGO team CitizenGO is a community of active citizens that seeks to defend life, the family and fundamental rights worldwide. To find out more about CitizenGO click here or follow us onFacebook or Twitter. This message is addressed to bartolo.antonio50@gmail.com. If you do not wish to receive emails from CitizenGO, click on this link. To contact CitizenGO, doon't respond to this email, reply at this link: http://www.citizengo.org/en/contact

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.

Times: ‘Doctors, teachers need more LGBT training’

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160323/local/doctors-teachers-need-more-lgbt-training.606567#
Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 14:09 by Philip Leone-Ganado



Transgender people in particular were seen by Maltese professionals as the group which had their needs met the least. Photo: Joanna Demarco

Lack of understanding and professional training for doctors and teachers about issues affecting LGBT people continue to endanger their fundamental rights despite promising legislative advances, according to a new report.

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) surveyed more than 1,000 public officials, doctors, teachers and police officers in Malta and 18 other EU member states about laws and policies protecting and promoting the rights of LGBT people.

Pink News: Germany’s first gay Vice-Chancellor dies, aged 54

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/03/18/germanys-first-gay-vice-chancellor-dies-aged-54/
18th March 2016, 3:02 PM by Nick Duffy


(Photo by Steffen Kugler-Pool/Getty Images)

One of Germany’s most prominent gay politicians has died, aged 54.

Guido Westerwelle, the former chair of the Free Democratic Party, had become the country’s most senior gay politician when his party joined Angela Merkel’s second coalition government.

Times: Increase in HIV cases caused by sexual transmission

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160307/local/increase-in-hiv-cases-caused-by-sexual-transmission.604949
Monday, March 7, 2016, 18:16



An increase in the incidence of HIV, which can lead to Aids, was the result of gay relationships and not shared syringes by drug users, the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Chris Fearne, said in Parliament this evening.

He said a similar increase was being seen in several other countries.

A task force of professionals is drawing up policies and preparing an information campaign to tackle the trend and educate the people on precautions to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.

He said there was no increase as a result of shared syringes had been seen, and the Health Department was continuing to provide free syringes to those who needed them.

Mr Fearne was replying to questions by Franco Mercieca and Anthony Agius Decelis (PL).

Times: Italy's Senate approves civil unions, but without adoptions

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160225/world/italys-senate-approves-civil-unions-but-without-adoptions.603743
Thursday, February 25, 2016, 21:11



Italy's Senate has voted to grant legal recognition to civil unions, as the last holdout in Western Europe took a compromise step to give some rights to gay couples after a years-long battle.

Premier Matteo Renzi described the passage of the bill as "historic".

But gay and lesbian groups denounced the legislation as a betrayal because Mr Renzi's Democratic Party sacrificed a provision to allow gay adoption in order to ensure passage.

The legislation, which must still pass the lower Chamber of Deputies, is nevertheless significant for an overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country where the Vatican holds sway in politics and society, although Pope Francis remained silent as debate raged in recent months.

It passed 173-71, well over the threshold necessary.