Have you ever been? Malta is a little paradise off the coast of Italy, just three hours flight from the UK. It’s full of culture and interesting nooks and crannies fill every town. There are crystal waters to gaze upon to while away your stresses and we really want to go there right now. Oh and it’s so gay… (friendly)
Our travel writer, Ray Si helped lay it all as to why Malta is one of the world’s most LGBT+ friendly countries in the world today.
It ranks high
It is a little-known fact that Malta ranks as the leading country, before even The UK and Belgium, regarding how the laws and policies of the country positively impact on the lives of LGBT+ people.
Discrimination protections
Discrimination regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in Malta has been banned nationwide since 2004.
Constitutionally equal
Malta is one of the few countries in the world to have made LGBT+ rights equal at a constitutional level.
No converts
In 2016, Malta became the first country in the European Union to ban conversion therapy.
But not many LGBT+ venues
Despite being a liberal country, Malta is extremely limited when it comes to exclusive gay venues.
All pictures via FLICKR, click on the picture to visit the photographer.
Gay pride gatherings, festivals, and parades are a fantastic opportunity for the LGBT+ community to come together and fly the flag with pride, hence the name.
Still, they are also a chance to highlight issues affecting the community in particular and the world as a whole. S
uch celebrations are slowly, and sometimes with difficulty, spreading across the globe, but there is one place that always feels like the heart of Gay Pride, and that is Malta. For Malta to be honored with the title European Capital of Culture in 2018 says a lot about its open-mindedness when it comes to arts and culture. Still, it may surprise some people to find that the island has some of the best rights and attitudes towards the LGBT+ community, anywhere! Add to this the fact that the island is a beautiful blend of Mediterranean landscapes, gorgeous beaches, picturesque towns, and historic architecture, and you have to ask the question, why would you celebrate it anywhere else?
And so it was inevitable that I was going to find myself in Valletta in early September for the Allied Rainbow Communities’ Malta Pride Parade and Celebration Week. Following a record number of participants and visitors last year and ARC’s vow to push the numbers even higher this year, I had to join the celebrations again.
It is safe to say that the event takes over Valletta. Still, as invasions go it has to be one of the most colorful, fun and friendly in history and thousands of revelers, bystanders, onlookers and allies of the LBGT+ community squeezed into those sun-kissed and historic streets to both celebrate their lives and make a stand in solidarity of each other; the frivolous and the fantastic, the poignant and the political (with a small p,) side by side, hand in hand.
And while the parades with all their glitz and glamour are what make the headlines, the week offered all manner of related events and attractions too, from pool parties to films, from talks and discussions to bars, beaches, and nightclubs. From the social to the serious, there was something for everyone. And all this comes together under a neat umbrella, undoubtedly a multi-colored one with some added glitter, to celebrate the right to be different. And whereas some such events are being side-tracked by consumerism and marketing opportunities, Malta’s heart is very much in the right place. To this end, it was great to see an increased number of youths accompanied by their LGBT+ guardians experiencing the celebrating this great event, many getting right into the spirit of the occasion, and sporting the unwritten uniform of bright colors and fun accessories.
Malta in early September is a sun-worshippers paradise and the week sees the whole island on heat…take that whichever way you wish…and with this in mind the parade was pushed back to 5 pm to allow for the slight cooling of temperature, but a Pride Parade always manages to turn up the heat both physically and metaphorically! Flights with Air Malta are direct from London.
This year’s event even coincided with the grand opening of Valletta’s elegant Rosselli Hotel, which threw wide its doors and welcomed esteemed guests such as Malta’s Prime Minister, and of course yours truly. The hotel made for the perfect base of operations, easy walking distance to all the main activities, and a luxurious 5-star stay.
The hotel offers a touch of sophistication with high-vaulted ceilings and spacious rooms which mix old-school class with modern comfort. And with an outdoor pool, roof garden, and relaxed lounges, it made for the perfect retreat to balance the energetic fun of the day.Pride gatherings are becoming part and parcel of many significant cities calendars across the globe, but nowhere does it quite like Malta.
Not only does ARC throw a great party, they are reminding people precisely what Pride events are all about. Roll on 2020!
I first visited Malta 14 years ago and remember myself and my friends trying desperately to find a gay scene and left extremely disappointed as you could imagine as an early twenty-something would in a fruitless search of gay nightlife in the winter sun. The visit in 2004 was in the same year that Malta had its first Pride March an event to which no more than 50 people attended and so my interest was piqued when Allied Rainbow Communities announced the 2018 Malta Pride Parade & Celebration taking place in Valletta, the European Capital of Culture.
Time to give Malta a second chance.
Photo by @marieouaw
5 LGBT facts you might not know about Malta
It is a little-known fact that Malta ranks as the leading country, before even The UK and Belgium, regarding how the laws and policies of the country positively impact on the lives of LGBT+ people.
Discrimination regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression in Malta has been banned nationwide since 2004.
Malta is one of the few countries in the world to have made LGBT+ rights equal at a constitutional level.
In 2016, Malta became the first country in the European Union to ban conversion therapy.
Despite being a liberal country, Malta is extremely limited when it comes to exclusive gay venues.
There are a few places that are indeed worth checking out for a stay on the island, the best two I have included here.
The Phoenicia in Valletta has to be one of the finest places to stay and is probably only designated as a 5 Star hotel because they don’t allow you to go up to 6 stars and it is the best of both worlds in many respects. It is traditional in its decor and style yet offers ultra modern facilities and excellent service. It is to be found just outside the City Gate, the main entrance through the cities awe-inspiring 16th-century bastion walls and surrounded by acres of manicured gardens and vibrant greenery.
Photo by: www.campbellgrayhotels.com
But despite the feeling of being slightly separated from the hustle and bustle of the city most of the best restaurants and exciting sites in the capital are within easy walking distance. Inside the building retains the members club style that betrays its British, early 20th century origins and the rooms are suitably spacious to match with plush beds and an overall fresh, summery feel. After a recent, overdue revamp, the food in the Phoenix Restaurant is back up to its 5-star standard. Seasonal menus offer a mix of local and traditional, and obviously, well-represented seafood. If like me you are on the island for the Pride event then this is the perfect place to use as a base as the march’s starting point is at the Grand Triton Fountain, literally a stone’s throw from the hotel. Or at least a glitter bomb.
Although rated as a 4-star hotel, you could make a straightforward argument for it becoming a 5-star without any extra effort. It is situated at the heart of Valletta making it pretty much 5 minutes walk from, well, everything – St John’s Cathedral, Grand Master’s Palace, museums, bars and restaurants and for exploring further Ferry and Bus Station are all close at hand. The building has a fascinating history, and if you know where to look, you can read its past in the walls.
Photo by: www.lafalconeria.com
Although most of the original 1580’s building didn’t survive the bombing of the Second World War, what did remain has been incorporated into the modern architecture. One fascinating fact is the name of the building, deriving from the fact that The Knights of the Order of St John who ruled the island were obliged to send the King of Spain, Charles V, a trained falcon as part of an annual fee. It was in the neighbourhood that this hotel now stands that the famous Maltese falcons were breed and trained. Today’s building is spacious to the point of palatial, the balconied rooms reminding you of its rich history with its mix of ancient and modern, reverential yet run with a welcoming and friendly attitude. The in-house restaurant offers some beautiful Mediterranean flavours which change with the availability of seasonal produce.
Photo by: www.lafalconeria.com
It’s all about having Pride.
Now, of course, we come to the reason I had decided to return to the island. In keeping with Malta’s Gay Pride March being less overtly raucous and flamboyant, I took a more holistic approach before the event and visited local TV celebrity Adrian Gusman – one of the only LGBT trained and qualified therapists on the island – who in a spirited manner, converted his home into a spa sanctuary for men. Adrian’s treatment ranges from creative bodywork underwater to jet massages and all while sipping on Rose sparkling wine. Truly an indulging experience at a surprisingly inexpensive cost (treatments with Adrian start from 50 euros).
Photo by: Adrian Gusman
Malta’s Gay Pride March is an example of how to include people from all across the gender, sexual and political spectrum. The event is still about driving a message of acceptance and equality and the fact that both the island’s Prime Minister and the opposition leader attended and members of the Catholic clergy used the event to help build bridges with the LGBTQ community shows how things are moving in the right direction.
Photo by: loveinmalta.com
And maybe it is the tastefulness of it all, the fact that it wasn’t about overt sexual displays, flamboyant fetish wear or extreme outfits to shock passers-by. Nor was this about consumerism something which has taken root in too many similar events. This was about Pride and progress, as shown by the fact that everyone from toddlers to ageing visitors was happy to take part in this respectful, modest, lively and thoroughly wonderful street party.
Jess Glynne is set to wow audiences at the annual Isle of MTV festival in one of Europe’s most gay friendly countries this summer after being the first act to be announced.
CREDIT: PR Supplied
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Jess, who enjoys heavy rotation on the UK’s number one gay radio station Gaydio, will be singing her hits Rather Be and My Love in Malta for the 10th Annual Isle Of MTV and will be joined by a host of other acts, which have yet to be announced.
A relative newcomer, Jess, has become one of the most successful female artists in the UK with five of her singles hitting the number 1 spot. She and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini are the only two British women to have achieved the feat.
Jess Glynne commented: “I am super excited to be coming to Malta for the 10th anniversary of Isle of MTV. Can’t wait to celebrate with you all”
CREDIT: Visit Malta
50,000 people are expected to descend on Malta for the free MTV festival. The Island is just a short 3-hour flight from the UK and has in the past hosted a whole range of celebs in the past including Jessie J, Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas and even Rylan Clark’s bestie icon Nicole Scherzinger.
The number of visitors under the age of 24 to Malta since the start of the Isle Of MTV event nine years ago has risen 120% and now accounts for 20% of all tourists, according to MaltaToday.com
For many festivalgoers the Isle of MTV is their first introduction to the Island and its smaller neighbouring Island Gozo. Coupled with the fine weather and English as an official language, Malta cements itself as one of the go to holiday destinations in Europe.
CREDIT: Visit Malta
LGBT rights in Malta have been majorly ramped up in the last decade. Gay and lesbian travellers can expect to have their marriages recognized and it also has strong anti-discrimination laws.
The UK has lost its place as the number one place for LGBTI rights in Europe after Malta introduced a raft of new legislation.
New rules surrounding outlawing surgery on intersex children, education and civil partnerships have all added to Malta’s new position at number one on the ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Europe
Malta is now ranks at #1 on LGBTI rights, scoring 89% across forty sets of criteria; the UK falls behind in second place on 86%.
Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat took to Twitter to welcome the news.
The UK still lags in a number of places mainly in not granting asylum on gender identity grounds, a legal requirement for trans people to get medical investigation before being allowed to change their gender and surgery to “correct” an intersex child’s gender.Down at the bottom of the list Russia and Azerbaijan score 8.35% and 5% respectively.
