Church experts flag ‘vague definition’ of gender identity in proposed law

The Maltese Church has submitted a position paper on the Gender Identity Bill to the Prime Minister and the Opposition leader, in which seven of its morality experts have called for a balance to be struck between “the rights of the individual and the legitimate interests of the others and the community as a whole”.

The paper, also presented to civil liberties minister Helena Dalli and social affairs committee chairperson Deborah Schembri MP, was signed by Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Agius, dean of the Faculty of Theology, Dr Nadia Delicata, Rev. Prof. George Grima, Rev. Prof. Paul Galea, Rev. Dr Ray Zammit, Rev. Dr Richard-Nazzareno Farrugia, and Fr Anton Borg.

According to the Church, the Bill’s vague definition of gender identity left its interpretation wide open, possibly opening it up to conflicting interpretations.

The morality experts also said that the treatment of gender identity as a matter left solely to the personal preference of the individual ignored the distinction between “the real and concrete situation of persons who experience an interior conflict between their physical sex and their gender identity, and the gender ideology according to which people can freely determine whether they want to be male or female and freely choose their sexual orientation arbitrarily.”

They also said that the best interests of the child should be properly guaranteed by the protection of the child’s right to seek and receive information, regardless of frontiers.

“This should include mandatory counselling to provide the opportunity to better understand one’s sexual orientation and identity, which will promote the child’s social, spiritual and moral well-being and physical and mental health.”