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.
After a prolonged period of uncertainty and unanswered queries, the organisations working in the field of LGBTIQ rights are voicing our concerns regarding transparency and the extent of government involvement in EuroPride 2023, the NGOs said Friday.
Decision making, communications, budget allocation and direction were unclear from an early stage in 2023, raising serious concerns, they said. Following meetings and approaches by various NGOs with the Parliamentary Secretary Hon. Rebecca Buttigieg, and the Head of Secretariat Carmen Sammut, "we were assured that the NGOs and the LGBTIQ community would be supported and prioritised to organise activities for the LGBTIQ community, that there would be transparency on the decision making and a summary of budget breakdown (without going into details of service providers) would be provided."
"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. 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. A basic budget breakdown was also requested within the consultative council."
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, they said. "Furthermore, 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."
"But despite these challenges, NGOs 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."
The organisations which signed the statement are MGRM - Malta; LGBTIQ Rights Movement; LGBTI+ Gozo; aditus foundation; Moviment Graffitti; Drachma LGBTI+; & Drachma Parents; Allied Rainbow Communities; Checkpoint Malta