This Gay Pride week was the first in Malta where lesbians and gays will be celebrating the recent introduction of civil partnerships.

And last night kicked off events as couples and singles marched in Valletta to continue to raise awareness about gay and lesbian issues and human rights. It is hard to believe that it was only earlier this year when civil unions, which give the same rights as marriage, to gay and lesbian couples were introduced.

In the last couple of years, Maltese people have seen their civil liberties be improved in so many ways. The first was divorce, as thousands of suffering couples were allowed to dissolve their marriage and be allowed to remarry.

And another important milestone was the above mentioned introduction of civil unions. Just a few years ago, people of different sexual orientations often used to keep it secret, because it was still a taboo. Things have changed since then, especially as the younger and more open generations reach adulthood. People are no longer scared to come out, and most people are a lot more accepting and supportive of same sex relationships.

While manifestations such as last night’s are important, the key issue here is acceptance, the right for people to be happy and free, and the right to a relationship that is recognised by the state and offers rights and protection to people who have committed to each other in the eyes of the law and society.

Some people still blow hot and cold, but by and large the general feeling is that this law was long overdue and people finally have a right to be happy. “Live and let live”, as the saying goes.

There is still a long way to go before we reach full equality in this country. For starters, we still live in a male dominated society. But as time goes by, things are slowly coming up to the European norm. Homophobia still rears its ugly head from time to time, but we hope the days of people being beaten up or discriminated against in the field of employment are long gone. Perhaps another one that ought to be revisited is the ban on gay people giving blood. Many countries have lifted this restriction and today’s modern screening methods automatically screen for HIV, which is the major reason why people cannot give blood, due to a higher (although still small) risk of there being infection.

Yesterday was a display of love, happiness and celebration. We hope that Malta can continue to mature in this manner and proceed to become a truly open and modern society where everyone can fit in, no matter what their sexual orientation, their religious beliefs or the colour of their skin. It is only us, as a people, that can make this happen.