Malawi: Where Gay Love is Punished

What more can I say about this cruel inhuman sentence?

Except that the verdict is truly a "gross indecency." The judge of this monkey court should be charged with attempted murder.

The first same sex couple in Malawi to seek marriage will now join a population of 12,000 inmates scattered throughout the country's 23 prisons. The prisons were intended to house half that number, and high court judge Duncan Tambala once described them as "hell on earth."

"I don't know whether they will survive..."There are no blankets, no food and the prisons are overcrowded. They face a tough time."

Colonialism and bad religion are still wrecking lives.

Before the British came and conquered Malawi, there were no laws against homosexuality. These laws are a foreign imposition, they are not African at all.

The missionaries preached a harsh, intolerant Christianity, which has been so successfully internalised by many Africans that they now claim homophobia as their own culture and tradition.

And Malawi's slogan "The Warm Heart of Africa" is just a cruel joke.

I hope these two brave men survive their ordeal. But even if they don't their little love story has had a huge impact. It has helped expose homophobia once again as an evil and crazy thing. It has made us want to fight it even harder.

And I'll never forget how dignified they were as the foul mob howled at them...














Or what they said before they were sentenced:

"I love Steven so much. If people or the world cannot give me the chance and freedom to continue living with him as my lover, then I am better off to die here in prison. Freedom without him is useless and meaningless."

"We have come a long way and even if our family relatives are not happy, I will never stop loving Tiwonge."

Because that's what it's all about eh? They can punish our love but they will never stop it. It makes us strong.

Even when it hurts.

Cue Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who committed suicide thirty years ago this week...



Time flies doesn't it? Life is funny and sad.

Once I wanted to be the new Ian Curtis.

Now I am Steven and Tiwonge...