Maltese poster boy for ‘ex-gay’ outfits faces trial

Matthew Grech, who found Jesus and claims he's now 'ex-gay', is accused of violating Malta's conversion therapy ban.

What happens in Malta should be of no concern to the Christian Legal Centre, headed by the deranged Andrea Minichiello Williams, above, but the CLC has announced that it is assisting the legal defence of Grech, 33, a trustee of the N Ireland-based Core Issues Trust, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly discussing and promoting conversion practices.

His trial—believed to be the first of its kind—is scheduled to begin on February 3 at the Court of Magistrates in Valletta. His two co-accused are presenters of a Maltese “free speech” media outlet, PMnews.

Malta became the first country in the EU to to outlaw conversion therapy in 2016, and later amended the law to also outlaw “the publishing, advertising, displaying, distributing, referral and circulation of any material promoting the practice,” according to the Times of Malta.

In a statement issued last week the CLC The Christian Legal Centre announced that it is assisting Grech’s legal defence.

Apart from his involvement with Core Issues Trust, run by “ex-gay” South African Mike Davidson, above, Grech works closely with the two other faith-based conversion therapy outfits—the International Federation of Therapeutic Counselling (IFTCC) and X-OutLoud (motto: We are honored to celebrate the identity of those finding freedom from unwanted homosexual desires and gender confusion.)

According to the CLC Grech shared his story about his childhood and the confusion he had experienced when it came to his own sexuality and relationships. He spoke about how as an adult he had been involved in homosexual relationships before becoming a Christian, which changed his life dramatically.

It quoted Grech, who rejects the term conversion therapy, as saying:

I understood that in the Bible, homosexuality is not an identity as we make it nowadays. And neither is it a feeling, but a practice. This means that no matter what sexual feelings a man or a woman is experiencing, if they have sexual relations with a person of the same sex, they commit the homosexual act in God’s eyes, and that is a sin. Just like every other sin, one can repent from it and ask God for forgiveness and ask Him for strength to overcome…

After his PMnews interview, Grech was summoned by the police who later pressed criminal charges against him for allegedly advocating conversion practices.

If convicted Grech could face five months in prison, and/or fined 5,000 euros.

CLC justifies meddling in Malta’s affairs

The CLC stated:

What happens in Malta on these issues is of international significance as Malta became the first country in the European Union to ban what LGBT lobbies describe as ‘conversion therapy’ in 2016. A ripple effect has followed with other nations, such as the UK and Australia, using the original Maltese legislation as a blueprint for similar bans.

The LGBT lobby, however, has struggled to define what the imposed term ‘conversion therapy’ is. No evidence has been provided to justify the bans, but instead the aggressive campaigning is aimed at criminalising Christian beliefs on human sexuality and silencing any opposition.

Following the interview, Grech received a prosecution order from Inspector Roderick Attard from the Maltese police.

The order accused him of advertising conversion practices and this breaking article 3 (a) (111) of Chapter 567 of Maltese laws. He was told that he would need to attend a hearing on February 3 and that if he failed to attend, he would be arrested.   

‘Domino effect’

Williams, Chief Executive of the CLC, said:

Criminalising someone for telling their story of freedom and change from unwanted and unfulfilling sexual behaviours is discriminatory and violates their Christian freedoms and fundamental human right to free speech.

The domino effect of ‘conversion therapy’ bans began in Malta. If a precedent is set by this case in Malta we will see similar cases in the UK unless, unless robust action is taken.

If Matthew is convicted, men and women seeking change in their lives, to leave behind patterns of behaviour which make them unhappy, will be forced underground. We will seek men and women who are seeking help in Malta silenced, fined and put in jail.

Matthew Grech’s life was powerfully transformed when he became a Christian and learnt what the bible teaches us about who we are. It was in his new found faith that he found his identity and freedom.

The actions of the police are deeply concerning, and we have not seen anything like this before. We face no alternative but to fight for justice for Matthew and to ensure no one else experiences what he had.

It is vital to win this case, not just for people in Malta, but for Christian freedoms and the freedom to leave homosexuality and unwanted same-sex attraction across the world.
 
Davidson added:

In what is probably a test case, the freedoms of speech, conscience and religion are being attacked. The fact is that therapeutic and counselling choice is a fundamental right.  Governments promoting monocultural viewpoints – this idea that sexual orientation is inborn and unchangeable, and that gender is unrelated to biological sex – are denying those unwilling to identify as LGBT the right to leave identities and practices no longer relevant to them. This is a human rights issue. Without ideological diversity in any life issue, democracy is denied checks and balances and descends to totalitarianism.

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