Petitioning the Government of Malta: Equal Rights in Marriage and Adoption for the LGBT Community

http://www.change.org/petitions/petitioning-the-government-of-malta-equal-rights-in-marriage-and-adoption-for-the-lgbt-community?utm_campaign=petition_created&utm_medium=email&utm_source=guides



Petition by Franklin Cachia Malta, [January 2013]

Fighting for equal rights should no longer be an issue at this day and age and should no longer be begged for. We understand the difficulty that our politicians face in going against the grain and working to legalise same-sex marriage and the opportunity to start a family through adoption by same sex-couples and we stand with them in our support of legalising same-sex marriage and adoption in Malta.

As Maltese citizens, same-sex couples deserve the same rights to marriage and adoption that heterosexual couples have. Marriage and child-rearing are human rights and should not remain heterosexual privileges. By allowing same sex couples the right to marry and adopt, Malta will join several other European nations as front runners in the push to end discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Countries in Europe with marriage equality are Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden (in the process towards the adoption of such laws Finland, France, and the United Kingdom). Countries in Europe that provide full adoption rights are Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

We cannot allow ourselves and our laws to be dictated by hateful, archaic, and small-minded bigots who wish to control others with their fear of change and evolution.
We are your friends and your neighbours, your sons and your daughters, your brothers and your sisters, your mothers and your fathers. We have made ourselves visible and made ourselves known, so that people might realise that we're not so different from anyone else.

We are the same. We are EQUAL.
To: The Government of Malta

I, a candidate on behalf of …………. on District …… and ……, pledge:

1. To Enact or propose amendments to current legislation to ensure that all people are protected from discrimination in all spheres of life, including on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.

2. To Support anti-discrimination measures and the promotion of equality of the LGBT community.

3. To Change marriage and adoption legislation so that same-sex couples are able to marry and adopt without discrimination.

4. To Fight homophobic and transphobic hate speech through criminal sanctions

5. To Increase explicit recognition of transgender people’s rights through expedient gender recognition legislation in line with the recommendations of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

6. To Include gender reassignment procedures under the national health service.

7. To Abide by the duties to respect, protect and fulfil the fundamental rights of same-sex couples and families.

8. To Redefine the concept of family with the inclusion of same sex couples and recognition of the diversity of family relationships, and to ensure that the needs of LGBT families are increasingly reflected in our public policy and legislation.



Sincerely,
[Your name]