AD decries ‘Church’s tendency to connect paedophilia and LGBTIQ identity’

A day after the Catholic Church caused outrage after claiming that a Bill criminalizing gay conversion ‘therapy’ would affirm “the superior legal status of homosexuals over heterosexuals,” Alternattiva Demokratika has joined the Malta Gay Rights Movement and the government in denouncing the Church’s position paper.

On Saturday, the Catholic Church dug its heels in over gay conversion, claiming that a plan to criminalize gay conversion therapy would be “discriminatory” and because it  “will affirm the superior legal status of homosexuals over heterosexuals.”

Refuting claims that the Bill would be discriminatory because it would make it a crime to assist a person with homosexual orientation to become heterosexual, “but perfectly legitimate to assist a heterosexual to become homosexual,” AD Chairperson Arnold Cassola insisted that this was untrue.

“The Bill has been presented in order to ensure just and equal treatment of all members of society. AD supports the criminalization of gay conversion 'therapy' and therefore supports the bill being presented in parliament,” Cassola underlined.

Cassola’s comments echo those made by Gabi Calleja, the coordinator of the Malta Gay Rights Movement, and civil liberties minister Helena Dalli, who proposed the bill. Describing the Church’s position paper on the government’s plan to criminalise conversion therapies as “profoundly flawed” in practical and legal implications, the MGRM insisted that rather than facilitating discriminating between homosexuals and heterosexuals, the underlying goal of the Bill was to ensure that all persons - whatever their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression – are valued equally.

Civil liberties minister Helena Dalli also weighed on the debate to say that the Church’s arguments were based on “false premises that run counter to equality and human freedom.”

“It is not true that the Bill will contradict other Maltese laws, or that it will discriminate between homosexuals and heterosexuals. At no point does the draft law distinguish between the two sexual orientations, and it seeks to protect both of them equally,” Dalli said.

The Catholic Church’s controversial position paper also evoked outrage after it claimed that the Bill “will make it a crime to assist paedophiles whose conditions is manifested in same sex behaviour”.

This claim was also criticised by the MGRM as having failed to take into account that the presenting problem of paedophiles is the sexual abuse of children, and not their same sex or opposite sex attraction.

Refuting the Church’s claims, the Green Party insisted that the tendency of the Church to connect paedophilia and pathology to any LGBTIQ identity risks suppressing the recent progressive achievments of the same community.

“The paper presented by the Church clearly confuses issues and should be revised. The current bill affirms the right of every person to seek professional help, irrespective of his or her identity. Contrary to what the Church position implies, the Bill does not and will not prevent professionals either from treating paedophiles or people who need psychological help.,” AD spokesperson for LGBT+ issue Claire Azzopardi Lane held.

The Bill in question seeks to criminalise conversion therapy, regardless of whether the “patient” has given their consent or not. It will also make it illegal to advertise conversion therapy or to refer someone for such treatment.

Any non-professional who is caught breaking the law will be subjected to a fine of up to €5,000 or to a maximum six months’ imprisonment, with higher fines applicable if the person in question in a minor. Professionals – including counsellors, educators, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, doctors, family therapist and pathologists – who are found to have offered or referred people to conversion treatment will be subjected to €10,000 or a maximum year imprisonment.