Equality Minister Helena Dalli looks forward to the day when Malta no longer needs to celebrate Gay Pride week or Women’s Day to raise awareness about discrimination and stigma.

Despite legal advances, as long as discrimination and stigma existed, even behind closed doors, we need to organise such events, she said at a General Workers Union seminar themed HIV+ People and Transgender People as Our Colleagues. 

“I wish we did not need to organise Pride Week, as that would mean that there is better understanding of all realities,” she said.

“The fact that we are still marking Women’s Day means that there is still a lot to be done to truly have equality.”

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In her address, Dr Dalli said that the gender identity law and the introduction of the gender-neutral X in official documents among others, provided some of the best protection for transgender people.

However, there was more to be done to raise awareness among employers about discrimination, such as strict uniforms rules.

She referred to a person within the Police Force, identified as a man but had to wear a hat usually worn by women. Such instances called for flexibility, she insisted.

“We also need to ensure that every person has adequate facilities where they feel comfortable changing their clothes. It could be traumatising for some children who felt uncomfortable going to the bathroom assigned to the gender that they don’t identify with. This was a basic need,” Dr Dalli said, urging: “Let’s not increase the challenges of people who are already facing other challenges.”

One particular panel at the conference discussed difficulties for transgender people when looking for employment, with some noting that honesty with prospective employers could also iron out any misunderstandings.

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Marisa Xuereb, Raesch Quarz managing director, noted that employers were required to support their employees. If the latter were open from the very beginning, employers would be more willing to support them as they could plan ahead for when a transgender employee needed to take some time off for the treatment.

Throughout the debate, the issue of women being discriminated against as potential mothers was often brought up to draw parallels with the need of transgender people who need time off for surgery or treatment.

GWU deputy secretary general Kevin Camilleri noted that the union was proposing the introduction of special transgender leave for people undergoing sex change treatment.

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