#IlkollMerħba: Maltese Restaurants And Shops To Start Displaying LGBTIQ-Friendly Logo
Under a new initiative, owners of various Maltese establishments in the hospitality sector will now display a logo to show their support towards the LGBTIQ community.
#IlkollMerħba, or #AllWelcome, was launched by Equality Minister Helena Dalli along with the government’s human rights directorate
The main motive of the logo is to show that equality laws exist in Malta and to make sure that they’re are properly enforced.
Gobi Calleja from the human rights directorate insisted that the initiative was “not just a logo” and would reflect equality.
“We are starting with the larger operators, but we want to include everyone from the largest businesses in Malta to small village grocers and band clubs,” Ms. Calleja said
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said this latest initiative will show the world that Malta does not discriminate and that this is another step to incorporate the LGBTIQ community, a measure which the government is devoted to.
Getting one of the stickers is actually not just a matter of downloading the logo and sticking it on your door, though
To apply, owners will have to register to Equality ministry, and only after attending an informative session will they be entitled to use the logo on their premises and online as well.
Within hours of being announced, the initiative received a great deal of backlash, with people saying the logos will actually backfire and discriminate members of the LGBTIQ community, instead of the other way round.
