Gay rights groups demand transparency on €2.5 million EuroPride spend

Malta’s gay rights and human rights lobbies are demanding transparency from government over an estimated €2.5 million spend in the organisation of EuroPride, the LGBTIQ celebration in 2023.

The organisations – MGRM, Aditus, Graffitti, Drachma, ARC, and Checkpoint – said NGOs had been pushed to reduce their activity expenses mere weeks before the start of EuroPride, but have been left without a summary of the EuroPride budget breakdown.

“Various organisation representatives and activists raised similar concerns in the LGBTIQ Consultative Council and with the Secretariat on more than one occasion between April and September 2023; disorganisation, fears of a pinkwashing exercise and questioning the government’s role in EuroPride, accountability, transparency of decisions, and the money being spent on extravagant activities while NGOs were pushed to reduce their activity expenses mere weeks before the start of EuroPride,” the NGOs said.

“Decision making, communications, budget allocation and direction were unclear from an early stage in 2023, raising serious concerns.”

The NGOs said they were voicing their concerns regarding transparency and the extent of government involvement in EuroPride 2023 “after a prolonged period of uncertainty and unanswered queries.”

The NGOs said they had met equality parliamentary secretary Rebecca Buttigieg and secretariat head Carmen Sammut to be assured of transparency on the decision making and a summary of budget breakdown. “Initially, our concerns were put to rest and we left satisfied that there was some clarity. Unfortunately, this did not last long and our concerns emerged again as planning and logistics began to get underway.”

Despite assurances made, the budget breakdown was not received before the start of EuroPride and still has not been received by the members of the LGBTIQ Consultative Council.

“Miscommunication, late notifications, changes in decisions on funding, budgets being modified more than once and close to the date, decisions taken by the secretariat without consultation amongst other issues were the order of the day up till well during EuroPride 2023,” the NGOs said.

Despite these challenges, the NGOs said they had managed to run their activities as smoothly as possible, “emphasising EuroPride’s primary purpose to celebrate the LGBTIQ+ community's legal accomplishments in Malta, social progress, provide safe and diverse spaces and to address ongoing issues.”

“We urge the government to be transparent about its expenditure, which we estimate to be far above the €2,500,000 allocated, for EuroPride. Pride should put the community at the forefront, not primarily be a platform for the government to show off their progressive agenda while members of our community still face marginalisation, discrimination or violence. It should be the community leading pride, not the government. Without transparent information and clear communication, trust within the community is at risk, and thus the involvement of government in future prides is questionable.”