ENP
Joseanne Peregin – Malta
Joseanne Peregin is a Maltese Catholic mother of three, one of whom is gay. She has been a voice for parents of LGBTI+ children who feel wounded by the Church or experience social stigma and prejudice, both locally and abroad. https://waysoflove.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/joseanne-peregin-fears-and-hopes-as-a-catholic-mother-of-a-gay-son-a-parents-perspective/ As a life-long member of the Christian Life Community (CLC) http://www.cvx-clc.net/l-en/aboutUs.html she also served as President of CLC Malta between 2008-2014 and believes in building bridges with the hierarchy, to protect and affirm LGBTI+ Persons. She is a co-founder of three organisations: Drachma Parents’ Group Malta; the European Network of Parents of LGBTI+ Persons (ENP); and the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC). She has been active in promoting acceptance of LGBTIQ people both in the Church and in society. https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20160517/opinion/Radiating-joy-hope-and-love.612311She speaks publicly about the open dialogue held with the Maltese bishops and invites church leaders to accompany parents in their acceptance journey. She was instrumental in influencing public opinion in Malta regarding social acceptance and family reconciliation, during the legislative improvements that Malta undertook, taking it to the top of the ILGA-Europe Rainbow Index. She presented a book, Uliedna Rigal (Our children as gift) produced by Drachma, to the local authorities. Written in Maltese, it contains 50 frequently asked questions plus testimonies and the Archbishop purchased 100 copies to give one to each parish, finding it to be a good pastoral tool. She is a member of Malta’s LGBTIQ Consultative Council and participates regularly in seminars and conferences advocating for LGBTIQ wellbeing and building safe spaces for dialogue and LGBTI+ affirmation. She is married to Joseph Peregin for over thirty–five years and has two sons and one daughter.
Roberta Bagnasco – Vice President
Margarida Lima de Faria – General Secretary
Sociologist.
Founder and president of AMPLOS’ board – association of parents of LGBTI people of Portugal.
Eight years of experience supporting, accompanying and advising Portuguese families of LGBTI people and advocating for LGBTI rights.
Vice-president of the Latin-American and Iberian network of parents organizations from 23 countries – FDS – Familias por la Diversidad Sexual – from 2013 to 2016. Board member from 2010 to 2016
Member of ENP board since 2016.
Sven Stabroth (Germany) – Fund Officer
worked for more than a decade in the Non-Profit-Sector between Germany and Eastern Europe, especially the Russian Federation.
Infectious Diseases, Public and Mental Health were of main interest until he started working in the development cooperation in Ukraine. And, in a way that is closely related to this, he supported and consulted the Ukrainian Parents Initiative TERGO to build the organization and forming a network of parents of LGBT children. Besides that he is curator of exhibition projects, which dealing with heteronormativity in our societies.
Anne Rigney (Ireland) General Secretary.
Anne is a member of Tuismitheoiri le Cheile (parents together) Support group for parents of LGBTI+ children, Roscommon, Ireland. Anne believes in equality for all and firmly believes that one person can make a difference by speaking out against discrimination of any kind. She has two children, a son, and a daughter. Her son came out as gay when he was 16. Anne actively campaigned in the Irish referendum for marriage equality in 2015. She wrote a poem called ”Imagine it’s your child” which connected to the hearts of the Irish people. The poem was used by the votewithus.org and was even reached Australia where the marriage equality vote was being debated. In her interview with the Australian Telegraph, Anne appealed to Australian parents to support their gay children.
“Talk to your politicians. Hold rallies. Write letters to papers. Do not stand idly by. Your children need you”. Anne has been a member of ENP for since 2017.
Marisol Ortiz (Spain) – Public Relations
