Malawi's First Gay Couple Wed, But At Risk Of Imprisonment!
This is dedication to the cause.
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, two homosexual men in Malawi, publicly walked down the aisle on Saturday, risking arrest and persecution as homosexuality is still illegal in the conservative African state.
Hundreds of curious onlookers crowded around the church where the men were married in a traditional but symbolic ceremony.
Since homosexuality is illegal in Malawi, when Attorney General Jane Ansah read about the marriage in the paper, she released a statement saying that the "law will have to take its course."
The maximum sentence for being found guilty is 14 years in prison!
That is ridiculously harsh and completely unfair. We can't imagine the kind of fear that is going through these gentlemen's heads!
But instead of concentrating on the negative, we'd like to look at the positive and congratulate them for being brave enough to make that kind of a commitment to one another under such terrifying conditions and making a statement.
Stay strong!
Sir Patrick Stewart
Jordan Must Think It's Halloween
That's so brave and inspiring! I hope they don't go to jail.
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
may god burn gays in hell
gays are dirty disgusting and lower than animals
gays are dirty disgusting and lower than animals
Lock 'em up!
well… marriage is kina like a prison sentence…..
respect.
That's so brave!
I really hope they don't go to jail
God bless them
Indeed very brave.
I believe in equality and this is not about gay people, it´s about human equality!
Gay people are human!
God loves all of his/her children.
I´m being the change i want to see.
:O They should flee to Paris!
Madonna needs to step in on this one.
Two other facts from the source article cited:
Three years ago the Anglican Church sent pro-gay rights Bishop Nick Henderson to head a diocese in rural Malawi. The congregation did not accept him and protests led to the death of a church member.
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But the fight against HIV and AIDS is slowly changing the official position against gays and the government made its first public comment on homosexuality in September, when it said gay rights need to be recognised to help fight AIDS.
Prayers for equality and peace throughout the world.
Re: Bogart – You chose your "first " post to make a homophobic, anti-human rights remark. Nice work asshole.
regardless of your stance on gay marriage, they did break the law knowingly and as such deserve any punishment they get. What they should of done is marry where it is legal or pushed to have the laws changed. breaking the law does not further your cause and will in fact harm it
I WONDER WHAT HAGDONNA MAnDONNA HAVE TO SAY OR WILL DO ABOUT THIS TRAVESTY? DOESNT SHE LIKE OWN THAT COUNTRY ? (OR AT LEAST THEIR LEGAL SYSTEM)… OR SHE OWES A LOT TO THE GAY COMMUNITY
SHE IS ALL TALK …
Oh, so when an actual crime is comitted most are let off with a slap on the wrist, but when two people in love get merried, they cud go to jail… for YEARS!?? They should focus on their crime rates, third world country that they are! Well done to those guys! I wish them the best of luck!!
What the fuck is wrong with some of you assholes? If people told you who you could & couldn't love,you'd be pissed! What the fuck impact does gay people's lives have on you? I'll answer for you….NONE!
I'm so disgusted with homophobic,bigoted attitudes!
Get one thing "straight". Gay people WILL have the same rights as all of you.
You better get used to that,because it's going to happen.
I hope none of you ever have a gay child! I'd imagine you'd disown them.
This is 2010,not 1950! Learn to live and let live! UGH!
Re: madonna is shit – [re=4634959]
You are a fucking asshole! Give it a rest,douche!
How shocked will you be,when YOU die and God asks YOU why you were such a hateful person! I'd be more worried that it's YOU going to Hell,for being the fucktard that you are. You don't like gay people? Then stay off of sites like this one! Karma's a bitch and you'll get your,.soon enough!
Re: Bogart – Fuck off!
Re: Intruder – Thank you! Finally, an INTELLIGENT post!
i have mad respect for them, but i don't think its dedication to the cause, just dedication to each other and that risk they took is amazing. all the homophobs need to stop worrying about what all the gay people are doing and go worry about their own lives first.
i love that things are changing, slowly, but still changing
I disagree, Ghost Writer.
That was NOT a brave move to get married .. it was a very stupid move.
What good will it do if they both go to jail for 14 years?!!
They could do more for the cause of gay rights if they could remain free from persecution.
Maybe they should have immigrated to another country and worked for gay rights from a "free" location.
So sad for them .. certainly they know that the Malawi government will make their lives miserable. Such a waste.
Very brave indeed. God loves everyone equally.
Re: Mickey9661 – Thank you
Re: Mickey9661 – WELL SAID!
You DON'T need to FLAUNT your homosexuality to be proud.
JESUS CHRIST
Why, oh why would you Perez make such an ignorant comment….."conservative African state". No states in Africa, just countries, or are you taking lessons from Sarah Palin?
whoa
that is scary
some people are incredibly brave
good luck!
Re: Xandria – happy new year
Interesting that hate-filled anti-gay rants make it to your forum, but updates on Malawi do not appear, well over an hour later.
Sad.
Re: Yellow Peeps – You know who else was in jail for a long time for standing up and doing what he believed was right? Nelson Mandela. Just saying.
IS MADONNA ONBOARD?
Re: ClaraBow –
Love your avatar…my father is the biggest Clara Bow fan in history, has all her movies, biographies (even has old movie posters on the walls). Don't often see good pics of her!
Wow! Unbelievable! Good for them, standing up for what they believe in!
It is up to us to help them remain safe!
We the public have that kind of power!
Re: JigSaw – Just on minor correction, it is homosexuality itself that is illegal in Malawi, but you are ultimately correct that it was the marriage and all the attention it got locally that brought them to the attention of the authorities.
Re: Intruder – So well said !!!!!!!
Re: freak – I did not know that getting married in a church or temple that is willing to perform the service was Flaunting it.
And there are people who are afraid to leave the closet. These people have to reflect on both.
Re: JigSaw – That was my first thought, too, because 14 years is a long time and a needless waste of youth; but how are laws going to be made equitable in oppressive places if gays just go somewhere else to marry instead of taking a stand where it's needed? It enables the inequitable laws of a place to remain in existence. What an unfair outrage and needless sentence for two people whose only crime is wishing to marry and be together in the eyes of the law; and I'm hetero.
Re: JigSaw – It's refreshing to read an intelligent post about this.
Re: madonna is shit – You are too stupid to post here. P*ss off.
Re: madonna is shit – #2
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DEAR YOU MUST COME TO GRIPS TO THE HATRED YOU HAVE FOR YOUR…FATHER
Re: JigSaw –
Happy New Year to you too, my friend
Re: JigSaw –
By the way, what ever happened to your significant other, Melissa? Never see her any more.
Re: SWEETPIECE! – #12
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HAPPY NEW YEAR SWEET!!!
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OMG!! I wonder what the Queen will do about this!! Madge help them!
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. Who are you to say whether another country's laws are unfair. As we used to says when I was a kid, "who died and made you boss?"
you burn in hell "madonna is shit" . your shit. get a life. i take it your not gay so you shouldn't care. so don't comment if your just going to say dumb ass things like that. you obviously have no idea what your talking about your just spewing hate and ugliness. fuck off okay.
Re: LG is NEW and IMPROVED – Happy New Year LG! Love always, SP
That is love right there. Your going to risk your freedom and life to join your hearts together. I wish them the best of luck!
They are incredible…I bet their marriage will be more succesful than most straight people who end up in divorce, wife letting herself go, husband cheating with the babysitter then because their marriages are so bland, dull and skrewed they need to judge gay relationships (which are fun, hot and almost always solid.) Some straight people can't handle their boring lives, walmart and 6 kids they never wanted so they take it out on others who are happy. Lol..so sad.
Re: madonna is shit –
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CHANGE YOUR NAME NOW YOU MAGGOT CLOSET CASE!!!
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AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
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Hey Sweet!
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Re: freak – And you don't need to FLAUNT JESUS CHRIST in a post to push your evil hate,bitch.
When you live in a country run by primitive violent savages anything risks a death sentence. Putiing gay people in prison because they want to be in commited relationships has to be one of the most evil things but like I said it's a very primitive continent and the only gay friendly place is South Africa and I would assume because it has a more european element.
It is so AWESOME when people like "madonna is shit" and other "I am better than thou" people, posts such exciting comments, because: WHAT ONE SOWS, SO SHALL THEY REAP! It's in the bible, and also in a lot of spiritual teaching in the world.
"Sorry m.i.s, hope you've got a lot of popsicles to stick in ya and keep ya cool during your wonderful journey! I'll pray that you are enlightened to why you are reaping what you will".
Re: madonna is shit – I think evil will burn in Hell so get used to your future fck face loser.
Re: Lady B. Good – Well I would hope that as Americans and moral people that we stand up for equal rights everywhere,that would be muslim countries that Kill christians,south africa when it had aparthied, and gays persecuted for how they were born. You sound like such an ignorant hateful lazy person I can picture you from your posts you slob.
This is not bravery, but foolishness. These gentlemen, above all else, are willingly breaking the law and they know what goes along with that. While I appreciate what others are saying (that is standing up for their cause, etc.), I don't think this is the most productive way to go about it. Surely, there are better ways to make their point that don't involve compromising their freedom.
1. Perez, Africa does not have states, it has countries. Therefore Malawi is a country.
2. They were not brave. It doesn't matter what they thought was right in their eyes, what they did was wrong. They broke a law, and can be sent to jail just like every other person who does something illegal. Sometimes we don't believe that a certain law is correct, but either way, we must follow it.
By far, one of the bravest things I have heard of in a very long time! Much respect! For you haters, I will invoke one of my favorite quotes:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.
Re: StefaniMaree – One of the stupidest comments I have ever read or heard. It is that kind of ignorance that prevents progress and would put us in a world full of slaves and would keep all of us from having any rights. How do you think progress happens? Go read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery! It's a very short story with a very strong point to make. Question everything or progress never, ever happens.
This is complete bullshit. I dont care what country it is. It should not be illegal to be gay. How does anyone have the right to tell you who you can or can not love? Nobody should have that power over you. I do believe that every country should leagalize gay marriage. To me its the same as someone telling you that you cant marry someone out of your own race. Like i said NOBODY should have that power over you. Some of you said they deserve to go to jail because they knowingly broke the law. If some laws werent broken we wouldnt be where we are today. And like a few of you said…get used to it…eventually gay marriage is going to be leagalized & and more accepted. And then maybe the divorce rate will go down. We are moving toward the future…we have our first black president for crying out loud so get used to it.
Re: Plasmic Honey – Madonna don't owe the Gay's shit. She didn't make you gay, Your Daddy did.
Re: @v@ – yes, but i also said something to the effect of working to change what is there and not pissing off the powers that be, which will only slow things down
Re: Xandria – gone, only to make a rare appearance….
Re: SWEETPIECE! – happy new year!!! Re: ap076 – thanks for the correction Re: Lurchetta – thanks!Re: LG is NEW and IMPROVED – Nice to see you back! happy new year!
But what can WE do??? Write to your local representatives because Malawi exports an estimated US$604 million in goods per year and asked not to import any goods.
If those people want to keep those barbaric primitive laws thats their right but who we buy from is ours.
Re: ap076 – I normally hate these comments because they always seem directed towards Gay people and HIV is a Universal vitus that does not discriminate but I agree.
Re: madonna is shit – You are sick fucking bitch!
Re: JigSaw – Yes you did. I'm basically with you, as a stand on principle knowingly fades into reality pretty quickly when you're doing 14 years in Malawi under God knows what conditions for daily rations and company. =O
How can Madonna support a country like this?She really deosn't give a shit about gay rights anymore…
Re: JigSaw – 66 Happy New Year, all!
Congratulations, sirs!
Z O M B A
Re: JigSaw –
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KISSES JigSaw DEAR!!!
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AND DO HAVE A LOVELY '10!!!
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YOURS,
lG!
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God loves everyone- he created us all and loves us. Yay! for gays
Actually cried reading this. Its horrible. Why shouldn't they be able to marry who they love?
And in reply to Jigsaw.
Yes they broke the law, but its a prejudice law.
In Nazi germany, it was against the law to hide jews from the government. In Nazi germany, you were required by law to denounce jews which would lead to their death. Many people didn't follow these laws because it was the right thing to do to protect their neighbours and friends and fellow citizens.
Do these people deserve a prison sentence because they broke a stupid law?
Sometimes what is right is more important than the law.
If Africa want to join the rest of the work and be civil they HAVE to stop the hate. And STOP religious nuts from telling you what to do…..