‘Ex‑gay’ activist Matthew Grech cleared of promoting gay conversion therapy in Malta

Matthew Grech - a self‑described “ex‑gay” activist with longstanding links to organisations promoting the discredited notion of sexual‑orientation change - has been found not guilty by a Maltese court of promoting so-called gay conversion therapy, despite describing his supposed “transition” from homosexuality during an online interview in 2022. 

The verdict, delivered on Wednesday by Magistrate Monica Vella, has drawn strong concern from LGBTQ advocates who fear it may embolden anti‑LGBTQ groups and undermine Malta’s internationally praised ban on conversion practices, one of the most robust in Europe.

Grech was prosecuted alongside two presenters from PMnews Malta after appearing on their programme to discuss what he claimed was his “spiritual” move from being gay to heterosexual. Malta’s ban makes both the practice and promotion of conversion therapy illegal. 

However, the magistrate ruled that a public discussion did not constitute promotion, stating that the presenters’ intention had been to create debate rather than encourage harmful practices. She also said Grech’s contribution amounted to sharing a personal story rather than advertising a service. 

Outside the courtroom, Grech celebrated the ruling and framed it as a win for religious expression, claiming Christians should be “free to share their testimonies” and implying that “change is real”. 

But pro‑LGBTQ advocates argue that his narrative is a dangerous Trojan horse, used repeatedly by anti‑LGBTQ groups to smuggle conversion‑therapy rhetoric into public discourse under the guise of “freedom of speech”. The Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) had originally filed the complaint, stressing that any public messaging suggesting sexuality is a defect to be overcome contributes to stigma, shame and real harm.