The development of LGBTI rights in the EU : the case of Malta and Estonia

Abstract

This dissertation takes on the several issues concerning LGBTI matters in the European Union. Specifically, this study will take the form of a Case Study on EU Member States Malta and Estonia. The countries vary on levels of history, political background, culture and lastly mentality. Having said that, the dissertation aims to look into defining LGBTI, LGBTI history and lastly, the LGBTI situation in the aforementioned states Firstly, the term “homosexual’ started being used by a Hungarian doctor in 1869. The term “Gay” started being used after the Stonewall riots and it can be seen that the term is used as an umbrella term within the community. The term “Lesbian” originated from the island Lesbos due to the poet Sappho. Terms such as “Bisexual”, “Trans” and “Intersex” came about during the 1990s. The LGBTI acronym and the rainbow flag which are now a symbol for the community also occured in this period. The idea of “questioning” challenged the binaries set on genders and created others such as asexual amongst others. Moreover, several theories attempted to explain the phenomena which would later be defined as homosexuality. Firstly, Karl Heinrich Ulrichs and his theory of “Urnings” would explain why attraction towards individuals of the same sex can be considered as normal. Subsequently, Havelock Ellis and his theory of “sexual inverts” was an attempt to define homosexuality in the mid-20th Century. Ellis’ theory was heavily criticised by Academic Martha Vinicus. Moreover, the EU Member States Malta and Estonia have very different historic backgrounds. Estonia became independent from the USSR in 1991 and moved on the decriminalise homosexuality in 1992. As opposed to Malta, Estonian citizens take pride in being non-religious, while the former is a state which is predominantly Catholic. While religion does not affect mentality with regards to LGBTI rights, there are cases of Estonian citizens still holding the USSR perspective on the issue. In this case, the issue of the Russian minority and their perspective on the issue is also a challenge to LGBTI rights within the state. On the other hand, groups such as X-Out-Loud in Malta are increasing in popularity. These groups introduce the mentality that one can be cured from homosexuality.