In a recent interview with Alex Borg following the Nationalist Party’s election defeat, the PN leader defended newly elected PN MP Conrad Borg Manché after questioned on controversial remarks made by on Pride and LGBTQ+ issues.Asked where he stood on the controversy, Alex Borg defended both the party’s record and his MP, saying, “Our electoral programme is crystal clear,” Borg said, noting that the PN’s manifesto on civil rights had been praised by members of the LGBTQ+ community, including Cyrus Engerer.The comments made by Borg Manché had sparked significant backlash in recent weeks after the PN MP questioned the relevance of Pride marches, argued that LGBTQ+ people had already achieved the equality they were seeking, and said young children should not be exposed to drag performances or certain elements featured during Pride events. He also suggested that Pride “used to make sense in the past” but was no longer necessary because LGBTQ+ people are now accepted by society. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)When Opposition leader Borg was asked directly by Lovin Malta whether Pride marches should continue, he said,”I’ve attended every Pride event that has been held. Otherwise I wouldn’t be consistent in what I’m saying,” he said.However, Borg argued that critics had misrepresented Borg Manché’s original comments.“Other people tried to twist what Conrad Borg Manché said,” he said. “In fact, he later clarified exactly what he meant. Others, particularly the Labour Party, tried to turn this into a political football when it shouldn’t have been treated that way.”Borg went on to argue that the criticism directed at Borg Manché had become personal, adding that “just a few weeks ago he was being treated as a hero by the Labour Party, and now, because he chose to join the Nationalist Party and entered Parliament with a strong result, all these attacks have been launched against him.”“As leader, not only for Conrad but for all PN candidates and MPs who were elected, I will continue defending them because these kinds of personal attacks are inappropriate.”Borg also warned that such attacks risk discouraging young people from entering politics.Referring to the statement issued by Borg Manché following the backlash, Borg insisted the MP had not attacked the LGBTQ+ community, adding that “if one looks at the clarification he gave the following day, you’ll realise he clearly explained what he meant. He certainly wasn’t attacking the LGBTQ+ community.”In that statement, Borg Manché said he had “never attacked anyone because of their sexual orientation” and had never proposed removing or reducing any civil rights. He argued that his comments had been misunderstood or deliberately misrepresented and stressed that he had been speaking about children and the role of parents in their upbringing, not about restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ adults..“Equality means that everyone has the same rights and the same dignity,” Borg Manché wrote. “But equality also means that a person has the right to express a different opinion without being labelled, demonised or accused of things they never said.”He added that anyone portraying his comments as an attack on the LGBTQ+ community was attributing arguments to him that he had never made.When Alex Borg was challenged on whether his own support for Pride conflicted with Borg Manché’s remarks and risked sending mixed messages, he rejected the suggestion that the PN was divided on the issue.“The mixed messages are being created by others, not by Conrad,” he said.The remarks made by Borg Manché in an interview with MaltaToday were criticised by LGBTQ+ activists and organisations. The Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM) rejected Borg Manché’s claim that its representatives had agreed with his views on Pride, describing his comments as misleading and arguing that Pride remains necessary because discrimination and harassment against LGBTQ+ people still exist. The organisation also pushed back against his comments regarding children’s exposure to LGBTQ+ realities, saying inclusive education plays an important role in combating stigma and discrimination. Former MEP Cyrus Engerer was also among those who criticised the remarks, warning that they risked undermining the progress the PN had made in recent years on LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion.Watch the full interview with Alex Borg on Lovin’s Facebook and YouTube.•