An article by Elisabeth Grima.
Have you ever come across an ad by a local LGBTIQ+ NGO asking for donations? The answer is probably not, as donations of the sort are typically encouraged on their respective platforms. One would ask, why do LGBTIQ+ organisations in Malta require funding? Isn’t the current situation already good enough? Do we really need to keep spending on LGBTIQ+ issues?
The legal situation in Malta with respect to LGBTIQ+ individuals and their rights is an excellent one. There are, however, projects and campaigns done by LGBTIQ+ organisations that require an extra financial push. To continue spreading awareness through the publication of informative material, you need money. To continue giving services to the LGBTIQ+ community for free, you also need money. To battle LGBTIQ+ homelessness, you need even more money and resources. Money in LGBTIQ+ organisations is not solely used for Pride marches, as although such marches are needed to celebrate the struggles of the LGBTIQ+ community of the past and to celebrate diversity, there are more issues that require funds.
Funding also affects greatly the quality of the support that organisations can offer to their community, whereby help would be much less effective if no money is available.
Money is crucial to ensure that the situation in Malta does not regress. What happens if LGBTIQ+ organisations have no funds? Those organisations which depend entirely on volunteers will be hit much worse than those who have a couple of paid professionals. Important projects such as free material and the production of awareness campaigns would all stop. No funding means no education and no help. Sure, education and awareness can still be disseminated freely through the internet if money is unavailable. However, when it comes to big projects such as producing documentaries and providing free assistance to the community, that’s where the difference will be felt. Besides educating the community, these campaigns are essential to make sure the members of the LGBTIQ+ community do not feel alone. Funding also affects greatly the quality of the support that organisations can offer to their community, whereby help would be much less effective if no money is available.
Such services and support are very needed, and they are appreciated very much. For this reason, whilst LGBTIQ+ organisations do not publicly ask for donations, they do require funds to keep offering excellent services to the local LGBTIQ+ community. This extra help is essential to battle hidden individual difficulties, which still persist in our society nowadays.