Dr Angele Deguara (left)
Dr Angele Deguara is a resident academic and subject co-ordinator of Sociology at the Junior College of the University of Malta. She also lectures in gender and sexuality within the Department of Gender and Sexualities, Faculty for Social Wellbeing at the University. Her main research interests are religion, sexuality and gender. She conducted her doctoral research in the anthropology of religion and sexuality with LGBT Catholics in Malta and Palermo, Sicily. She is the author of Life on the Line: A Sociological Investigation of Women working in a Clothing Factory in Malta as well as a number of other published works. She is currently working on a publication about gay men who live with HIV in Malta. She is a member of the Junior College Diversity Committee which she also chaired for a number of years. She is also an activist for social justice and civil rights with Moviment Graffitti and with the Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM). She was previously a fair trade volunteer with Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust.
Angele is a feminist and an animal lover. Her love for animals led her to become a vegetarian some 30 years ago. At present, she has a sweet cat called Hugo. Travelling is her passion. She loves to explore cities, particularly in Mediterranean countries because she loves warm, sunny days, Mediterranean cultures and food. Grey and rainy days dampen her mood. She loves Gozo and likes to spend her weekends there whenever she finds the time. She loves the sea and when she manages, she swims in the spring and autumn months as well. She also loves reading novels in both English and Maltese. One of her favourite authors is Elif Shafak. She is a Liverpool FC supporter and locally supports Hibernians since she grew up in Paola. She is married to Jesmond and has two sons, David and Sam. One is a doctor and the other studied psychology and is a support worker in young people’s residential homes. When she retires she would like to spend her time travelling, reading, watching tv series and films, and learning languages.
Rachel Gilford (right)
Rachel Gilford is a pioneering Maltese transgender activist whose courage and determination transformed the legal and social landscape for LGBTIQ+ people in Malta. In the mid-1990s, she took the Maltese authorities to court after being denied the right to have her true gender legally recognized.
Her case, which reached Malta’s Constitutional Court in 2001, became a landmark in the country’s human rights history. The court ruled in her favor, affirming the fundamental right to privacy, dignity, and recognition of gender identity. This was the first time in Malta that a transgender person was granted official acknowledgment of their gender, setting a crucial precedent for others to follow.
Rachel’s victory opened the door for a wave of progress in Maltese law, influencing later reforms and contributing to Malta’s emergence as one of Europe’s leading nations for LGBTIQ+ rights and equality.
Beyond her legal triumph, Rachel continues to be a symbol of resilience and authenticity. Her advocacy and public presence have inspired countless transgender individuals to live proudly and demand the respect and equality they deserve. Today, Rachel Gilford remains a living testament to how one person’s courage can change the course of a nation’s history.
(Photo Credit: Therese Debono)
