Mina Jack Tolu, persuna LGBTQI, kandidat u uffiċċjal ta’ ADPD – The Green Party għamel ilment lill-Kummissarju tat-Tfal dwar intimidazzjoni tat-tfal li attendew it-teatru fit-18 ta’ Marzu 2023 minn uffiċċjali jew attivisti tal-partit tal-lemin estrem u fundamentalista ABBA. L-ilment fid-dettall jinstab mehmuż hawn taħt.
Mina Jack Tolu kiteb ukoll lill-Prof. Andrew Azzopardi, fundatur u ko-chairperson ta’ CROM, Children’s Rights Observatory Malta. Mina Jack Tolu qal li bl-attitudni aggressiva tagħhom lejn professjonisti li tellgħu serati teatrali dwar id-diversita l-Membri Parlamentari Justin Schembri u Julie Zahra marru kontra l-prinċipji fil-Manifest tat-Tfal li iffirmaw qabel l-elezzjoni ġenerali tal-2022. Huwa ovvju mill-attitudni tagħhom li iffirmaw biss għal wiċċ in-nies u għar-ritratti għax mhux vera jemmnu f’dak li iffirmaw għalih. Mina Jack Tolu talab li l-firem ta’ Schembri u Zahra jiġu dikjarati nulli miċ-CROM. L-ittra sħiħa lil Prof. Azzopardi tinstab mehmuża hawn taħt.
I am writing to you in your capacity as Commissioner for Children. I
am an executive committee member of ADPD – Malta’s Green Party and an
LGBTQI person.
On Saturday 18th March I attended the play ‘Gender Boss’ at the
Żigużajg festival, together with a friend and her young daughter. On
entering Spazju Kreattiv I was shocked to be welcomed by a security
guard who was stationed at the entrance to the studio where the play
was being shown. After the play and creative workshop I spoke to the
team at Spazju Kreattiv, and asked them about the presence of
security. They claimed it was necessary due to the presence at prior
showings of members of Partit Abba, who also recorded the play and
workshop and asked questions to the children present.
On Facebook, Partit Abba and Partit Abba leader Ivan Grech Mintoff
posted that they had seen Gender Boss and will be looking into taking
legal action against it (see attached screenshot). This is extremely
concerning as I believe their presence was directly impacting on the
freedom of children to access culture. Access to culture is an
important right for children to enjoy, and they should do this without
fear of harassment or intimidations in the places set up precisely for
this purpose.
As a person who has watched the play and attended the workshop I can
attest to it being appropriate for children. The characters were a
tooth fairy and a boogeyman who explored a magic basement where they
could be who they wanted to be without the restrictive rules that
tooth fairies and boogeymen usually have to follow. After the play,
the actors led a creative story-building workshop where children could
write their own characters, and invent their own stories. My initial
reaction to the production can be watched here. As an LGBTQI person I
could only wish that this play was available when I was younger, and
that I would have attended it. It would have made me feel more seen,
and additionally I would have had a great time participating in the
workshop.
I remain extremely concerned by the dangerous behaviour and actions of
a registered political party, and therefore call on you to investigate
Partit Abba and their leader Ivan Grech Mintoff for intimidation and
harassment in a children’s space.
It is impossible to negate the real harms of political discourse that
preceded the play. This was very much spearheaded by MPs Justin
Schembri and Julie Zahra. In that regard, I have contacted the CROM,
publishers of the Children’s Manifesto which MPs Schembri and Zahra
signed last year, to ask them to rescind these signatures. As it is
clear that both MPs have acted against the manifesto which they have
signed. I am including my e-mail to CROM for your reference.
Kind regards,
Mina Jack Tolu
International Secretary
ADPD – Malta’s Green Party
***
Dear Prof. Azzopardi,
I am writing to you in your capacity as Founder and Co-Chair of CROM,
Children’s Rights Observatory Malta.
Last year me and my colleagues from ADPD, candidates for the general
elections, signed our commitment to the Children’s Manifesto,
published by CROM, The Malta Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society,
and the University of Malta Faculty for Social Wellbeing. We were
happy to be signatories of a manifesto with a clear vision for Malta,
in particular for the call to make Malta and Gozo greener, cleaner,
safer, sustainable, and more inclusive.
Due to recent political discussions around the Żigużajg play ‘Gender
Boss’, which we also discussed together on your radio program, I
returned to the Children’s Manifesto to note the points made with
relevance to the discussion. This is because I felt there was a
remarkable lack of children’s voices in the whole debate.
In the manifesto, children called for an increase in school outings,
including to cultural activities, as they note that this is beneficial
on a physical, cognitive, emotional, social level (no. 46).
Additionally they call for more awareness for both children and
parents regarding LGBTIQ issues (no. 64), and for efforts to eradicate
negative public attitudes of minority groups to stop the exclusion of
children who may be seen as different from mainstream society (no.
65), and to push to combat toxic gender stereotypes of masculinities
and femininity, traditional gender norms, roles and expectations (no
80).
As a signatory to the Children’s Manifesto (March 2022) I feel duty
bound to highlight the above points, and to call out MPs Justin
Schembri and Julie Zahra, who were also signatories to the manifesto,
but clearly do not remember the positive messages for diversity that
the children called for. While MP Schembri was actually happy that
this children’s show with the aim to combat traditional gender norms,
had a low turnout due to their aggressive stance on the issue.
I request that MP Zahra and MP Schembri’s signatures to the manifesto
are rescinded, as they have clearly worked contrary to what it stands
for. Additionally I ask that you consider facilitating a
child-friendly, safe and effective feedback mechanism to allow the
children who attended the play, or who wish to do so, to give their
own feedback and have their own voices heard on this matter. This
would be in line with point no. 88 in the same manifesto.
Kind regards,
Mina Jack Tolu
International Secretary
ADPD – Malta’s Green Party “
