Looking Back 2023: Queer reflections on Europride

It was the largest event of the year. Valletta was decked in pride colours, and stages were set up throughout the capital – from Floriana’s Fosos to St George’s Square.

Shop outlets embraced this and started setting up their windows with all the colours of the rainbow. Stormy weather couldn’t stop Europride either, with the first few events moved to the MFCC in Ta’ Qali.

And on the Pride March, people from all walks of life dressed up in technicolour to celebrate who they are, and how far they’ve come in creating a safe space for pride – an unthinkable space 15 years ago.

Malta launched its bid to host Europride in 2020. The bid, titled Equality from the Heart, was a combined effort by several Maltese non-governmental organisations – ARC, MGRM, LGBTI+ Gozo, Drachma – and the Human Rights Directorate. In October that year, Malta’s bid was selected during the annual general meeting of the European Pride Organisers Association (EPOA), and Malta became the smallest country to ever host the event.

Several stakeholders were brought on board to help with the preparations. A programme of activities was drafted, with concerts, cabaret and artistic performances scheduled throughout the 10 days of Europride. Local and foreign talent were roped in to ensure that pride will be fun, yet inclusive.

But did Europride live up to local expectations? Did it help local talent or was it pinkwash? Opinions in the community are more of a mixed bag.

Gabriel Chetcuti, known by his stage name KLONN, said Europride was a catalyst for queer community-building and entertainment, especially for the local drag scene. “[But] I think it’s important to remain cognisant of how the corporatisation of Pride continues to be shallow and self-serving,” he said.

Chetcuti was the creative force behind Teatru Malta’s March Out Of The Closet campaign during Europride, and had opened for Claire Tonna at her Body of a Thousand Hearts concert on 10 September. He was also one of the artists who took part in the exhibition ‘The wind blows... waves in all directions.’

“We owe it to ourselves to celebrate and foster the growth of talents, small businesses and queer grassroots initiatives locally, continue to focus on accessible safe spaces that are designed purposefully for our own enrichment, and most importantly - champions queer artistic expression,” he said.

Mohamed Ali Agrebi is another artist that contributed to the Europride programme of events. He co-curated ‘The wind blows... waves in all directions’ and co-directed a multidisciplinary performance at the Valletta Campus Theatre during Europride.

He felt that Europride was an important moment that allowed the queer community to celebrate its achievements while shedding light on communities that are still struggling today. But beyond this, Agrebi says it felt like a government pinkwashing exercise.

“There was a lot of focus on the entertainment side when it came to media coverage, and barely any mention of LGBTIQ asylum seekers being rejected because of evidence of their sexuality, or the fact that we have rising HIV diagnoses due to an outdated sexual health policy and PrEP & PEP not being accessible at all,” he said.

“The government used this opportunity as a propaganda exercise, and they managed to erase any form of protest from reaching the media or social media. During the coverage of the opening, they made sure that the protest against the Israeli singer Netta was not shown at all, and on the same day they ignored the banners raised in front of the minister of home affairs highlighting the situation of asylum seekers.”

Antonella Bugeja, the secretary general of LGBTI+ Gozo, said Europride was an intense and emotional experience that exceeded expectations. “It being held in Malta shows how far the queer community here has come throughout the years,” she said.

However, she noted that there was a backlash, both online and in person, towards Europride. “[This backlash] highlighted the contemporary relevance of pride; leaving a sombre reminder of the work which still needs to be done to create a safe, accepting and inclusive society for everyone.”

“Pride is not and should never become a message used for political propaganda; it is about spreading love and creating a safe haven; a sentiment that ought to be embraced daily.”

Noah Fabri, who participated in one of the Europride panels on inclusive language, said the experience was a confusing one that triggered cognitive dissonance. “I did not feel like I ‘belonged’ at all in a space that was supposed to champion some of my communities,” they said.

One of the events on the Europride programme was a pride awards ceremony sponsored by the local jewellery brand Mvintage. It was followed by Kor Kwir, Malta’s first queer community choir. This was one instance of cognitive dissonance for Fabri. “I find the concept of a queer awards night baffling and dangerous,” they said. “But Kor Kwir was amazing, and beautiful.”

“I used the small platform that Europride gave me to try to speak out against homonormativity, colonialism and the injustices suffered by generations and classes of queer people who do not fit into the state-approved narrative of who’s an acceptable queer, always with uncertainty about whether I was doing the right thing. Do I have to box myself in as a queer artist to have the opportunity to share this work at institutional level?”

Fabri said they knew many people who worked hard to highlight these issues, but they were met with “disorganisation, pettiness and confusion”.

“I didn’t go to the pride march. I cannot accept the capitalisation of a way of being that is radical and fights to end colonialism and capitalism,” they said. “I invited my friends for dinner instead.”