For Moviment Graffitti, Pride month is a time to reflect on the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community. The Pride march, which is the culmination of activities during Pride month, for us is not just a colourful celebration but a political manifestation. We have been participating in the Pride march from the very beginning, 20 years ago. Since then, in Malta, we have seen a lot of progress where legislation and policies protecting the LGBTIQ+ community are concerned. However, this does not mean that there is only place for celebration and no place for political action.
The Gender Wellbeing clinic in Paola has not been functioning as it should, for months. There is a long waiting list for new cases to be considered to start the gender transitioning process. The clinic is running without a psychiatrist at the moment since the only psychiatrist who used to work at the clinic is no longer available. Many young people who have been waiting for the service have had to resort to private healthcare since the state service has left them waiting and they felt they could not wait anymore to start the process of affirming their gender identity.
Another issue that has been neglected by the Government, despite its electoral promise, is the provision of free PrEP and PEP from hospital. Despite, having one of the highest rates of HIV diagnoses in Europe, the Maltese healthcare system has still not invested in the prevention of HIV infection. Therefore, those who are at rist of HIV infection and can afford it, have to buy the medicine themselves. Those who do not, risk contracting the virus and further spreading it in the community.
Malta occupies the top position in LGBTIQ+ rights in Europe, yet LGBTIQ migrants do not feel included or safe. LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers face Illegal detention and risk to be deported because they cannot prove their sexual orientation. Malta considers eight of the countries that criminalise homosexuality as safe, putting LGBTIQ+ migrants at risk of having their application for asylum rejected. If they are sent back to these countries, they can face years of imprisonment. LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers are not safe living in detention centres, risking discrimination and stigma as well as their safety.
LGBTIQ asylum seekers and asylum seekers with HIV face double discrimination and abuse since they are not separated at initial reception centre. In addition, accessing essential services, including life-saving antiretroviral therapy and gender-affirming health care services that include continuation of hormonal treatment is very difficult of not impossible. This is an essential healthcare service for transgender and nonbinary people as well as for people with HIV.
Moviment Graffitti would be proud of being in the top position on the LGBTIQ+ index when the rights of the whole LGBTIQ+ community are protected.
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Ix-xahar tal-Pride huwa żmien ta’ azzjoni dwar id-drittijiet tal-komunità LGBTIQ+
Għall-Moviment Graffitti ix-xaħar tal-Pride huwa żmien ta’ riflessjoni dwar id-drittijiet tal-komunità LGBTIQ+. Il-marċ tal-Pride, li huwa l-qofol tal-attivitajiet waqt il-ġimgħa tal-Pride, għalina mhux biss ċelebrazzjoni kkulurita imma manifestazzjoni politika. Ilna nipparteċipaw fil-Pride mill-bidu nett, 20 sena ilu. Minn dak iż-żmien, f’Malta rajna ħafna progress f’dawk li huma liġijiet u politiki li jipproteġu lill-komunità LGBTIQ+. Imma dan ma jfissirx li hemm biss lok ta’ ċelebrazzjoni u m’hemmx lok għal azzjoni politika.
Il-klinika tal-Gender Wellbeing f’Raħal Ġdid ilha ma tiffunzjona kif suppost għal iktar minn sena. Hemm lista twila ta’ każijiet ġodda jistennew biex jiġu kkunsidrati biex jibdew il-proċess tat-tranżizzjoni tal-ġeneru. Il-klinika qiegħda taħdem mingħajr psikjatra bħalissa għaliex il-psikjatra li kien hemm qabel, m’għadhiex disponibbli. Ħafna żgħażagħ li ilhom żmien jistennew dan is-servizz kellhom jirrikorru għal kura privata minħabba li s-servizz tal-gvern ħallihom jistennew u ma felħux jistennew iktar biex jibdew il-proċess biex ikunu jistgħu iħossuhom komdi bil-ġeneru tagħhom.
Kwistjoni oħra li l-Gvern ilu jinjora, minkejja l-wiegħda elettorali tiegħu, hija li jipprovdi l-PrEP u l-PEP b’xejn mill-isptar. Għalkemm Malta għandha waħda mill-ogħla rati ta’ dijanjosi tal-HIV fl-Ewropa, is-sistema tas-saħħa għadha ma nvestietx fil-prevenzjoni tal-infezzjoni tal-HIV. Għalhekk dawk li għandhom ir-riskju li jiġu nfettati bl-HIV u jifilħu jħallsu, ikollhom jixtru l-mediċina huma stess. Dawk li ma jaffordjawx, għandhom ir-riskju li jieħdu l-virus u jkomplu jxerrduh fil-komunità.
Malta tokkupa l-ogħla pożizzjoni fl-Ewropa fejn jidħlu d-drittijiet tal-komunità LGBTIQ+, imma l-immgiranti LGBTIQ+ għadhom ma jħossuhomx inklużi u protetti. Dawk li jfittxu l-ażil jispiċċaw fiċ-ċentri tad-detenzjoni bir-riskju li jiġu deportati għax ma jkunux jistgħu jippruvaw l-orjentazzjoni sesswali tagħhom. Malta tqis 8 pajjiżi fejn l-omosesswalità hija kriminalizzata bħala pajjiżi siguri, bir-riskju li immigranti LGBTIQ+ ikollhom l-applikazzjoni tagħhom għall-ażil miċħuda u jekk jintbagħtu lura f’dawn il-pajjiżi, jistgħu jispiċċaw il-ħabs għal snin twal. Fiċ-centri ta’ detenzjoni, immigranti LGBTIQ+ jaffaċċjaw diskriminazzjoni u stigma u għalhekk ma jħossuhomx siguri.
Immigranti LGBTIQ+ u dawk li għandhom l-HIV jaffaċċjaw diskriminazzjoni doppja u riskji ta’ abbuż peress li dawn ma jisseparawhomx mill-oħrajn meta jaslu fl-initial reception centre. Barra minn hekk, m’għandhomx aċċess għal ċerti servizzi essenzjali bħall-mediċini ta’ kontra l-HIV. Servizzi tas-saħħa għal persuni trans u non-binary li jinkludu l-kontinwazzjoni tat-trattament tal-ormoni huwa diffiċli ħafna biex jaċċessawhom, jekk mhux impossibbli. Dawn is-servizzi huma essenzjali għal persuni trans u non-binary kif ukoll għal persuni bl-HIV.
Il-Moviment Graffitti kien jħossu ħafna iktar kburi li Malta tkun fl-ewwel pożizzjoni fl-indiċi LGBTIQ+ Ewropej kieku d-drittijiet tal-komunità kollha kienu mħarsa. Il-grupp isejjaħ lill-awtoritajiet biex jieħdu l-opportunità u jieħdu azzjoni favur il-komunità LGBTIQ+ mhux jimmarċjaw magħhom fil-Pride biss.
