LGBTIQ+ activism in Malta : is it still necessary? : the activists’ perspective

Abstract

This dissertation aims to discover more about LGBTIQ+ activism in Malta and how it changed over time. It aims to deliver an understanding of what it means to be an LGBTIQ+ activist in Malta, comebacks that activists had to deal with over time and still have to deal with, the relevance of LGBTIQ+ rights organisations to the Maltese LGBTIQ+ community nowadays, and an insight into the future of queer activism in Malta. The questions to be answered by this research are: What is LGBTIQ+ activism and what are the challenges that come with it? How meaningful is LGBTIQ+ activism in Malta nowadays in view of the recent rapid increase of rights? Are there perhaps any issues or discriminations that still need to be vocalised further, even within the LGBTIQ+ community itself? A deeper understanding is gained through indepth interviews with activists from LGBTIQ+ organisations in Malta such as Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM), Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC), and Drachma LGBTI. This study offers a diverse array of Maltese LGBTIQ+ activist experience as it includes the perspectives of very experienced activists as well as newer ones, all sharing their meanings of activism and their beliefs on what still needs to improve in the Maltese islands.