PALESTINIAN EMBASSY IN SWIEQI COULD HELP MALTESE GAYS FLY PRIDE FLAG IN GAZA
By John Grech
Malta boasts some of the strongest LGBTQ protections in Europe. Same-sex marriage, adoption and open Pride events are normal. Yet many local campaigners wave Palestinian flags and condemn Israel over Gaza. Few appear willing to examine Hamas’s record on gay rights.
Hamas rules Gaza with an iron fist. Same-sex acts between men remain illegal under the old British Mandate code. Penalties reach ten years in prison. In practice, the Islamist group goes much further. Reports document arrests, torture, public floggings and executions. Suspected gay men have been thrown from rooftops. Honour killings occur within families. Openly LGBTQ people cannot live safely. No Pride events, no rainbow flags, no visible community exist. Many queer Palestinians have fled to Israel for refuge.
This reality clashes with slogans such as “Gays for Gaza”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu captured the contradiction neatly: “Some of these protesters hold up signs proclaiming ‘Gays for Gaza’. They might as well hold up signs saying ‘Chickens for KFC’.”
Maltese gays who march for Palestine should now prove their credentials. They could organise a tour to Gaza. Bring Maltese flags. Fly rainbow and trans banners. Hold public events. Film interactions with locals and Hamas officials. Apply for permits through the Palestinian Embassy in Swieqi. It actively engages in cultural and community activities in Malta. Malta maintains its own Representative Office in the State of Palestine, headed by Representative David Muscat, who presented credentials last February. Both offices should be willing to help.
Announce the group visit to Gaza in advance. Such a trip would test claims of solidarity. It would show whether Hamas tolerates visible LGBTQ presence. Past evidence suggests grave danger. Yet if activists believe Gaza welcomes them, they should go. Safety cannot be guaranteed. That is precisely the point.
Earlier this month, an LGBTQ cruise aboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady highlighted the risks. The ship was barred from Turkish ports for “behaviours incompatible with… moral values”. Organisers rerouted to Egypt. Egyptian authorities denied entry hours before arrival. Passengers, including many gay travellers, expressed shock. Similar denials have occurred before. Turkey and Egypt are not run by Hamas. They still reject open LGBTQ tourism. Gaza operates under stricter Islamist control.
Critics would argue that my proposal is provocative. Perhaps. But consistency matters. Maltese activists organise freely at home because laws protect them. They criticise Israel, a country where Tel Aviv Pride draws tens of thousands. They stay silent on Hamas’s abuses. A Gaza tour would force honest confrontation.
No one expects mass participation. The group “New Tolerance Campaign” in America offered one million dollars for a Pride parade in Gaza or the West Bank. No group accepted. Risk explains the reluctance. Yet silence on these dangers undermines human rights advocacy.
Maltese gays enjoy freedom. Extending concern to Palestinians is admirable. True concern requires facing facts. Hamas’s policies crush LGBTQ lives. A flag-waving tour to Gaza would reveal whether solidarity is real or rhetorical. Organisers should book tickets. Apply for entry. See what happens. The world, including this blog’s readers, will watch.