Gozo Pride 2026 calls for ‘Pride Without Permission’

Gozo Pride 2026 called for freedom, dignity and equality for the LGBTIQ+ community, with this year’s fifth edition taking place under the theme Pride Without Permission.

The theme carries a message that everyone should be free to be themselves without fear of discrimination, prejudice or exclusion.

Roan Coughtry, an executive member of LGBTIQ+ Gozo, said Pride was not simply a celebration but also an opportunity to challenge injustice, discrimination and violence.

“We are not here only to celebrate, we are here to protest against injustice, discrimination and violence,” Coughtry said.

They described the event as an act of visibility, remembrance and solidarity, warning that history had repeatedly shown that rights could not be taken for granted.

“Rights are never guaranteed; they can be changed and taken away from us,” Coughtry said.

Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri and Equality and Civil Rights Minister Rosianne Cutajar also attended the event.

Camilleri said Pride represented more than an annual celebration, describing it as a journey of “courage, voice and change” which had contributed to progress on equality and civil rights in Malta.

He pointed to changes in attitudes in Gozo in recent years, saying the island had become an increasingly safe, open and inclusive environment for LGBTIQ+ people.

Camilleri also referred to Malta hosting EuroPride in 2023 for the first time, saying the event had demonstrated the progress made by Maltese society and Gozo’s contribution towards a more inclusive community.

“The progress is not measured only by the laws we pass or the policies we formulate,” Camilleri said. “It is also measured by the everyday experience of every person – by how safe they feel at home, at work, at school, in the street and in their community.”

He said this year’s theme highlighted that freedom, dignity, respect and love should not require anyone’s permission.

“Freedom, dignity, respect and love do not need permission, but are rights that every person has,” he said, adding that these rights needed to continue to be protected.

Cutajar said the Gozo Pride theme sent a clear message that everyone should be free to be themselves, love who they love and live with dignity without requiring the approval or validation of others.

She said Malta’s progress on equality and human rights should be celebrated, but warned that such progress could not be taken for granted.

“Rights must be protected, strengthened and passed on to future generations,” Cutajar said.

She added that Gozo Pride remained important because inclusion and respect could not be values embraced only occasionally or when convenient, but needed to form part of everyday life.