Homophobia? Some People’s Reaction To Gozo’s Pride March Was Not A Pretty One
Gozo’s first-ever Pride March coming to the island next week was recently announced to the general public – and the reaction (by some) was shameful.
It’s astounding to see that such hatred and homophobia are still alive and kicking in Maltese society, and the reaction was far from a pretty one.
From people condemning the event because public expression of sexuality makes them uncomfortable, to people complaining about closed roads, it’s all a glimpse into how backwards parts of Maltese society can sometimes act.
Lovin Malta spoke to local actors Raphael Pace and Thomas Camilleri, who both gave their two cents on the matter.
“Some people really went out of their way to throw hate at a group of people that just want to spread a message of love and acceptance. It’s not cool and if you’ve got nothing nice to say, don’t say it,” Raphael told Lovin Malta, reacting to the comments on Lovin Malta’s Instagram post.
Camilleri, on the other hand, is a local actor and will soon be appearing in the upcoming original queer Maltese musical it-Teatru tal-Miskin.
“It’s reactions like these that show how much more still needs to be done in terms of queer acceptance. Some within the artistic community have questioned the need for a queer musical, as they feel that it ostracises us,” Thomas told Lovin Malta.
“Parents are still kicking out their queer children, trans hate crimes are still taking place and attitudes still have far to go. So we fight on.”
“Our purpose though is to celebrate the queer experience and to learn from the tribulations of those who came before us, growing up in an intolerant country,” he said.
What did you make of those hateful comments?
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