Twenty years ago, life in Malta was very different for most LGBTIQ individuals.

The first pride march was mostly attended by allies, who marched alongside a number of LGBTIQ individuals who were brave enough to go public in an otherwise conservative society. Many LGBTIQ people, including myself, were either still in the closet or felt too afraid to show themselves in public. It was a time when showing up wasn’t an easy choice.

The Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM) was only 3 years old, and had just set up the National Gay Helpline around a week prior to the first march. This helpline would evolve into the Rainbow Support Service nine years later and now, 20 years on, it will evolve again with the imminent launch of Dar il-Qawsalla, the first supported accommodation for LGBTIQ persons with housing issues.

For the past few months, I have been involved in ‘The First Walk Under the Rainbow’, a series of interviews with individuals from different backgrounds, who were present during this milestone. As I listened to the often intersecting point of views, a few common threads emerged: that while there has been significant progress, there is still a bit of a discrepancy between the laws and society’s mentality, though the huge evolution in the latter is also undeniable.

Since the first Pride March in 2004, the landscape for LGBTIQ rights in Malta has changed dramatically. Once considered one of the more conservative countries in Europe in LGBTIQ rights, Malta became a beacon of progress, enacting some of the most advanced legal frameworks for LGBTIQ equality in the world – a record that is attested by Malta’s top placement in the ILGA Europe Rainbow Index, starting from the civil unions for same sex couples in 2014 and moving on to the Gender Identity, Gender Expression, and Sex Characteristics (GIGESC) Act in 2015. In spite of the lack of visibility and awareness on intersex identities on the island, the GIGESC act was the world-first legislation that protects intersex infants and children from non-consensual medical interventions, an act that was later followed by countries such as Germany and Chile.

Despite this progress, the interviews revealed several critical areas where our society still falls short. These gaps are not just legal or institutional but also cultural and social. One point raised by MGRM co-founder Sonja Casha, who is also a mother, was the lack of awareness in educational settings about the diversity of families – which includes, but is not exclusive to, same-sex parents. Even though same-sex couples can now legally adopt, schools and educational materials often fail to reflect the realities of these families, leaving children with single or LGBTIQ parents feeling unseen and isolated.

A number of the voices from the first Pride March reflected on the recent commercialisation of Pride, expressing concern that the true spirit of the movement – that of protest, advocacy, and visibility – risks being overshadowed by corporate sponsorships and commodification. While sponsorship can be seen as something of a necessity and that the acceptance of LGBTIQ identities in companies is something that should definitely be celebrated, it is not something that should dim the lights from issues that still need to be addressed and tackled.

As Moviment Graffitti activist Dr Angele Deguara pointed out, access to free Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) have been a promise by the government that has still not been put to action. These treatments are essential in preventing HIV transmission, and it is something that should be given priority when considering the high rates of new HIV diagnoses on the island. While Malta has made strides in sexual health, access to these medications remains limited and costly.Notably, countries that fall considerably behind Malta in ILGA Europe’s Rainbow Index, do provide free access to PrEP and PEP, making this one of several important issues that are at odds with Malta’s human rights rankings. Making them more accessible would be a significant step in public health and equality.

With that in mind, our current outdated sexual health policies also need a massive overhaul, and they should also reflect the diverse realities of LGBTIQ people. These policies should include comprehensive education on sexual health that moves beyond traditional frameworks and addresses the specific needs of different communities from prevention, harm reduction, and treatment to mental health support.

With regards to Trans healthcare, Malta’s legal framework is progressive, but access to trans-specific healthcare remains inconsistent and inadequate. Many trans individuals still face long wait times, and new cases are being made to wait longer to even get their first appointment due to the lack of a psychiatrist at the Gender Wellbeing Clinic.

We are very worried for the many LGBTIQ asylum seekers in Malta facing sudden deportation back to countries where they are not safe, even when they present the required proof of danger, or their sexual orientation/gender identity. There have been cases of LGBTIQ asylum seekers in Malta’s illegal detention centre, living in inhumane conditions alongside people from less tolerant cultures, while their cases are processed, ignored or rejected. This is a huge contradiction to Malta’s image as a leader in LGBTIQ rights. On this topic, I must quote Dr Maria Pisani’s frank comment in her interview, when she says: “If this is really what you stand for, then let’s see it across the board and not just in relation to those who have a vote. When you are truly invested in human rights, you see the human and not just the voter.”

The journey for equality and justice for LGBTIQ people in Malta has been long and challenging, but it is clearly far from over. Yes, Malta is a place where most of the time, I feel safe living authentically as a Maltese national, and this is the reality of a lot of LGBT people. It also gives me great joy watching my gay friends get married and having their happily ever after. But we must also remain vigilant and active in addressing the challenges ahead. We must push for policies that are not just progressive on paper but effective in practice, because rights can be easily rolled back as we have seen in countries like Turkey, and we are witnessing in countries like the UK, the USA, and Italy.

Most importantly, while we march in our 20th pride march on Saturday 14th September, and celebrate our identities and all our progress, we should remember that there are still people on our island who still don’t feel safe marching with us. In reality, we are not truly free until all of us are free.

‘The First Walk Under the Rainbow’ exhibition is displayed at the Malta Postal Museum in Valletta from the 6^th to the 14th September. Interviews from the exhibition can be watched here or below.

This project has been funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme (VOPS) managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector and supported by the Ministry for Inclusion and Voluntary Organisations.

Robert Attard is the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM).