Thank you to the Wandering Caravan for updating me on this (this is why I love bloggers - you don't get info like this from mainstream media). Unless you've been living under a rock then you've probably heard about the gay couple in Malawi that were imprisoned and sentenced to fourteen (14) years for celebrating their relationship with a ceremony. The imprisoning and extremely harsh sentencing brought immediate international attention to this small country in central Africa. Their was harsh condemnation for such extreme measures befalling a couple that did nothing wrong.I knew of the countries release of the couple. Caving from the global pressure and frequent critiques regarding this inhumane treatment, the Malawi government pardoned the couple and allowed them to leave the prison. But the two men were warned to immediately end their relationship or face re-arrest.
Well I just learned that the couple is no longer together. Steven Monjeza and Ti
wonge Chimbalanga went to their separate villages following there release and have since ended their relationship. But this was not a mutual decision. Monjeza has decided that he now wants to pursue a relationship with a woman and is no longer interested in a same-gender partner. Chimbalanga however has stated that he will remain gay. He also refutes Monjeza's statement that he was coerced into the gay relationship. According to Chimbalanga, "you cannot force love, and nobody forced him when we had our symbolic wedding in December."For me this news is discouraging to hear. This couple endured so much because of their relationship that I was hoping their love for each other would have sustained following their release. But though I am disappointed in this news I totally understand. Really, what are your options when you are told if you stay in this relationship you will be arrested again? I applaud the courage of Chimbalanga to refuse to give in to the pressures of the law and "claim" heterosexuality when it is not his reality. But I can not say a single negative thing about his partner for attempting to assimilate in an effort to rid himself of the slurs, threats and violence he received constantly while in and most assuredly while out of prison.
1 comment:
Stories like this are really just making my blood boil. Africa has more problems that are far more important to deal with than gays, and, yet, the despots who run the show in cahoots with the so called Christian keep harassing and haranguing gays to have the population over look the lack of schools, the constant abuse of women and, the millions of starving abandon kids, HIV killing women left and right via heterosexual sex, they will all rot for this American backed hatred of gays.
But, I can see why the couple decided to split up, be alone, jailed or dead, the choices were not hard to see why they made said choice.
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