Mvintage General Manager, Matthew Borg, together with the hosts of the Malta Pride opening Karly Naudi and Liam Carter, announced the well-deserved awards during Malta Pride Week Opening Night on Friday 2nd September.
The Pride Heroes were awarded a True Colours pendant, together with an Mvintage voucher during our LIVE event which we hosted on the night. There’s nothing more fitting than our dedicated True Colours collections created with the sole purpose of empowering the LGBTIQ+ community to never be afraid to show their TRUE COLOURS to the world and #LiveYourTruth. We believe that empowerment is contagious, and Pride Month is an important time to empower each other and celebrate how far the community has come to earn a journey of equality. In addition, this collection is also an opportunity for us to support ARC Malta since proceeds from our True Colours Collection go to the foundation directly to help them continue their good work in the community.
We’re proud to introduce you to 2022’s Pride Heroes
Owen has been a trailblazer at the University within the Malta Medical Student organisation. Being the first openly gay officer within the organisation, he has done nothing but try to improve health care for LGBTIQ+ individuals. He's hosted LGBTIQ+ sensitivity workshops for future healthcare workers to be more sensitive not just to their LGBTIQ+ patients, but also colleagues. He has also been very vocal on the HIV crisis in Malta which disproportionately impacts members of our community. In light of this, he managed to gather donations for HIV Malta during World Aids Day. He has also been working tirelessly on a campaign for the upcoming Pride to secure free HIV testing for LGBTIQ+ individuals, something which is currently quite inaccessible in Malta.
Colette is a firm believer in promoting an LGBTIQ+ affirmative approach amongst psycho/social professionals. She also works tirelessly with gender variant youths and their families through the Rainbow Support Service and Gender Well-being Clinic.
Josef is a notary, a mayor, and an overall fantastic person. Additionally, he was among the individuals to draft inclusive legislations. He offers trans people gender-affirming legal services. He is an inspiration to young people to aspire to reach new heights.
Nicole is an active believer in bridging LGBTIQ+ and disability in the local context. She raises awareness of this by devising a targeted social media campaign by CRPD which is set to be published during this year's Pride Week. The campaign will shed a spotlight on real and raw experiences.
Chris constantly strives to raise HIV awareness, for instance with Live Fit Teatru: IL-Pozittivi-Dramm Komiku. He is also insanely dedicated to getting an improved medical standard for HIV in Malta with Check Point Malta.
Elaine has been working continuously to support members of the community who are parents. As a parent herself, including being a foster parent and now adoptive parent, she raises awareness within the community on parenting issues.
Over these past few years, Joe has been instrumental in the area of HIV/AIDS with the heading of HIV Malta and his work with the HIV+ community during COVID lockdowns and beyond. He made it possible for a number of individuals to receive their medication when it was not possible for them to get it themselves due to them being in isolation.
Johan and Margo are parents and actively involved in the Scouts movement. Through a number of exchanges and initiatives, they are raising more awareness and education about LGBTIQ+ issues and creating more inclusive and safe spaces.
Happy Pride Month and let’s keep on empowering each other by showing our TRUE COLOURS!
