Photovoice : pro-gay laws in Malta : how they changed experiences of discrimination

Abstract

In the recent years, Malta has introduced laws which enable same-sex couples to enter a civil union or get married. While the legal stance in the country has become more pro-gay, it is still unknown if this has affected the everyday lives of Maltese lesbian and gay individuals. In order to uncover more about this, the following study seeks to answer the following question: What changes, if any, did the introduction of pro-gay laws in Malta make in the lives of Maltese gay and lesbian individuals, in terms of their experiences with discrimination? This study explores whether important, perceived changes have occurred in the everyday lives of lesbian and gay individuals, after the introduction of these pro-gay laws. This study also intends to explore these perceived changes and/or non-changes. Since this study is interested in the subjective experiences of lesbian and gay individuals and the issues they face, the photovoice methodology was employed. The SHOWeD interview was also used to explore the positive and negative experiences which the participants share. With the data collected, five themes were created. Three of them describe how the pro-gay laws have helped to improve the psychological and social aspects of the lives of lesbian and gay individuals. The remaining two themes serve to describe the lack of change in relation to issues of discrimination and invisibility. These five themes serve to highlight how legislative changes have helped to improve the lives of lesbian and gay individuals, only in some aspects of their lives.