Queer individual assaulted, harassed after Saturday’s Gozo pride march

A group of queer people were attacked by individuals following the Gozo pride march on Saturday, an NGO has said.

LGBTI+ Gozo condemned the attack, saying the incident served as a stark reminder on why Pride is needed.

“We cannot stand idly by while members of our society are attacked and assaulted just for being themselves. We cannot celebrate Pride and do nothing while LGBTI+ people in Gozo and Malta experience discrimination, stigma, and violence just for occupying space,” the NGO said.

It said a group of queer Gozitans who had left the Gozo Pride Concert were verbally harassed when they approached a bar, and one person was physically assaulted as the aggression escalated.

“Members of our community faced instantaneous aggression just for being openly themselves in a heteronormative space, which shows us that there is still much to be done within our society to stop this hatred,” the NGO said. “LGBTI+ people should be able to frequent heteronormative spaces without fear of judgement, harassment, aggression, or violence, and LGBTI+ Gozo vehemently condemns this homophobic attack of hate that occurred during Malta’s greatest celebration of LGBTI+ equality.”

The NGO said experiencing, witnessing, and internalising acts of LGBTI+ violence such as this takes a tremendous toll on the individual, and LGBTI+ Gozo knows that reporting homophobic attacks is not an easy process.

“We urge our queer community to take care of their mental and physical health, to reach out to psychosocial services and their social communities, and to contact LGBTI+ NGOs for guidance and support,” it said.

LGBTI+ Gozo thanked and supports the people who reported this act of hate violence and the victim of this attack for their resilience and bravery in speaking out.

If you or someone you know needs psychosocial support, LGBTI+ Gozo offers free counselling services to members of the community, their families, friends, and those struggling with LGBTI+ identities. Contact them at [email protected] or call them at 356 99356622.