The Maltese Culture is arguably the most diverse in all the Mediterranean.
It has seen influence from all major powers and cultures around the whole coast of the Mare Nostrum and even beyond. We are not a single race, but a rich hotchpotch of all that is us, something valuable for a Pop-Culture club like us.
Yet, we Maltese seem to be unable to see and acknowledge our diversity most of the time.
Malta is celebrating its own Pride Week, with the March having happened yesterday, Saturday 14th September. The build-up to this grand event has been incredible. We have long seen a movement of pro-LGBT rights activists pushing for equal rights to be envied globally.
In fact, Malta is one of a select few of countries which recognise equality between all sexualities on a Constitutional level, the highest law. The laws are there, and they’re getting better. However, the reality is, that despite the inclusive legal facade, a dark shadow still looms.
In Pop-Culture, diversity is the name of the game.
The absolute plethora of different genres, stories, settings and plots that have been conceived and others yet possible force us to be diverse. We can never like just one thing. We’re always bound to find something new, something better or something worse. We cannot close ourselves up, or else we would miss a whole boatload of opportunity and wonder.
It’s this theme of being open that has been something of an incredible argument in the past few years. Why should we be open? Why should we be ok with something new? Especially when maybe we’re comfortable how we are?
Humans are a curious creature; they cannot truly remain closed up. We cannot stop ourselves from being inquisitive as it is our nature. The sad thing is that too many in Malta seem to forget this natural element of ours.
Humans are by nature trusting, it is how we started our first communities and civilizations. That trust is why we are still alive. Yet, some seem to forget this trust and disregard acceptance today. This has caused too much pain and hatred.
Malta may be modern in its laws, finances, technology and so on and so forth, but any country is the sum of its people.
To see the truth of how far we still have yet to come, one need only see the amount of self-claimed bright lights nagging and commenting away on in ‘Salott’. This is why we call for acceptance, for the betterment of true diversity within Pop-Culture and within society.
We will only be richer when there are more of us.
