Ruth Baldacchino
Ruth Baldacchino | |
---|---|
Occupation(s) | Former ILGA Co-Secretary General; Senior Program Officer - Intersex Human Rights Find at Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice |
Known for | LGBT rights |
Website | ruthbaldacchino |
Ruth Baldacchino is an LGBT and intersex activist, former Co-Secretary General of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA World),[1] and former Associate Director of Programs for the first intersex Human Rights Fund.[1]
Education
[edit]Baldacchino holds an M.A. in Women's Studies from University College Dublin and a B.A. (Honours) in Sociology from University of Malta.[1]
Activism and career
[edit]Baldacchino has previously served on the boards of the Malta Gay Rights Movement,[2] IGLYO and ILGA-Europe and also served as associate director of programs for the first intersex human rights fund.[1]
They were a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta, where they introduced Queer Studies.[3][1]
Between 2014 and 2019, they served as co-secretary general of ILGA World.[4] Ruth served as Senior Program Officer and later as Associate Director of Programs at the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, where they led the Intersex Human Rights Fund until 2024.[1]
Prior to joining Astraea, Baldacchino worked at the Ministry for Civil Liberties in Malta on human rights and social integration, participating in the process of developing and passing a groundbreaking Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act.[1][5] They describe the Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act as providing "freedom to an individual to develop, establish and express their gender, rather than having the State or the medical professionals deciding that. In other words, ... to be allowed to determine what identity fits ... best and how ... to embody that identity."[6]
Baldacchino has also closely engaged with intersex activists, particularly through the co-facilitation and coordination of ILGA's International Intersex Forums.[7] Baldacchino contributed to a 2015 national education policy on Trans, Gender Variant and Intersex Students in Schools.[1][8]
See also
[edit]- Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
- International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "Introducing the Intersex Fund team at Astraea!". Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice. June 16, 2015. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2015.
- ^ Calleja, Claudia (March 29, 2012). "Milkshake seeks to dismantle taboos". Times of Malta. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ "Visiting Staff". University of Malta. February 4, 2015. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ "Press Release – ILGA Annual Report on State-Sponsored Homophobia". SOGI News.com. RFSL. May 14, 2015. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ Lavers, Michael (April 1, 2015). "Maltese lawmakers approve 'cutting-edge' gender identity bill". Washington Blade. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ Akpınar, Ömer (April 3, 2015). "Malta: "I am allowed to determine what identity fits me best"". Kaos GL. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ Hay, Mark (April 7, 2015), What Will Malta's New Intersex Law Mean for the Rest of the World?, Vice
- ^ Trans, Gender Variant and Intersex Students in Schools: Policy (PDF), Ministry for Education and Employment, Malta, June 2015, archived from the original (PDF) on December 10, 2022