Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Malta may ban use of mum', `dad' for parents

Jul 05 2017 : The Times of India (Chennai)
Malta may ban use of mum', `dad' for parents
THE INDEPENDENT


Malta is on the verge of legalising gay marriage after the government brought forward legislation to scrap gendered references to marriage in the country's legal system.The draft law, which has received the backing of the centre-right opposition Nationalist Party , will abolish gendered terms such as “husband“, “wife“, “mother“ and “father“ from the country's Marriage Act and other laws and replace them with gender neutral terminology . It will also be made legal for gay couples to adopt children.
It marks the latest in a series of reforms designed to increase equality in the traditionally Catholic country. Last year, Malta became the first nation to ban so-called “gay cure“ conversion therapy , making it illegal to try to “change, repress or eliminate a person's sexual orientation, gender identity and or gender expression“. “Malta wants to keep leading on LGBT issues and civil liberties, to serve as a model for the rest of the world,“ Maltese PM Joseph Muscat, who leads the Labour Party , said.
Some MPs have voiced concerns at the changes. Nationalist Party whip David Agius said the law would stop people using words `mum' and `dad'. “From now on, you cannot call your parents `mum' or `dad because it is not in the law. Will we be celebrating `person who gave birth today' instead of Mother's Day?“ he said.

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