Tribute to Katya Saunders, one of Malta’s first openly trans personalities

A new exhibition by Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) will put on display the life and legacy of Katya Saunders, one of Malta’s first openly transgender personas.

Born in the conservative Malta of 1957, Katya was only 16 when Malta repealed its criminalisation of same-sex sexual activity in 1973. But from there, it would be a long road for full trans rights.

Like other openly trans people in Malta, Katya faced difficulties on social and legal levels. Trans people could not change their name and gender on legal documents, nor could they formalise relationships.

Journalist Ramona Depares has been working on a biography of Katya’s life for the better part of this year. The book’s title, ‘Katya: Easy on the Tonic’, is a nod to her most famous catchphrase when ordering her favourite drink. “Vodka (or gin, as the mood may strike) and tonic – and she would invariably add, easy on the tonic,” Depares explained.

Depares explores how Katya used her new identity to get married, find employment, and grow her career as a model from London to New York. “Katya started mingling with London’s glitterati at a very young age,” Depares explained. “She was reputed to attend the same parties as members of the royal family, being a familiar face at very exclusive clubs like Annabel’s and dating a number of celebrities.”

First-hand accounts from close friends and family members include Miami-based photographer Sid Hoeltzell, who shot Katya in an iconic B&W series, and director Mark Ezra, who credits Katya with helping him kickstart his career.

Footage of an event which Katya hosted in the early nineties, during the opening of Rock Café in 1992, will be part of the exhibition at Spazju Kreattiv, offering not just a documentation of Katya in her element but also a snapshot of Maltese nightlife.

Her strong personality meant her life is shrouded in myth and legend. “One of the toughest challenges when writing the book was fact-checking and finding out which of these amazing anecdotes were true, which were embellished, and which were a product of the collective imagination,” Depares said.

Katya built herself around an image of exoticism and sensual glamour, with influences sourced from a mixture of classic Hollywood cinema, high-fashion icons and an eclectic taste in music.

But while she enjoyed a star-studded life, Katya experienced housing, mental health, and addiction issues. None of this is swept under the rug in the biography, which carries a content warning and a list of entities in Malta who can assist anyone facing the same difficulties Katya faced, especially towards the end of her life.

Katya was as generous as she was glamorous. She grew up in a time when organised support for the LGBTIQ+ community was limited, if not existent. She would host people in her flat and give young people the skills to cope with the challenges of being queer, while helping them overcome the adversity to build careers and brands in Malta and beyond.

The exhibition is being managed by MGRM, with curation from Charlie Cauchi and Roxman Gatt. The project was funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.