|
WINDY CITY TIMES
|
|
|
Malawi gay couple pardoned
2010-06-02
|
|
This article shared 3251 times since Wed Jun 2, 2010
|
|
Bingu wa Mutharika, the president of Malawi, has pardoned Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the gay couple who had been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of unnatural acts and gross indecency, Reuters reported.
wa Mutharikawho recently called homosexuality "evil and bad before the eyes of God"said, "I have done this on humanitarian grounds but this does not mean that I support [ homosexuality ] ." The couple had been arrested after holding an engagement ceremony.
Patricia Kaliati, Malawi's minister of gender and children, said Monjeza and Chimbalanga's release did not condone the continuation of their relationship. "It doesn't mean that now they are free people, they can keep doing whatever you keep doing," she told BBC News, adding that they could be arrested again.
The White House issued a statement saying it is "pleased to learn of President Bingu wa Mutharika's pardon of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. ... We must all recommit ourselves to ending the persecution and criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity. We hope that President Mutharika's pardon marks the beginning of a new dialogue which reflects the country's history of tolerance and a new day for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights in Malawi and around the globe."
In a press release Cary Alan Johnson, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, said, "We commend President Mutharika for arriving at a decision that prevents two innocent people from spending years in prison without just cause. This pardon should be seen as a significant challenge to laws and proceedings that are inherently unfair. However, it should not require a presidential intervention for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Malawians to obtain justice."
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said, "It is reprehensible to imprison anyone for who they are or who they love. We salute the leaders who have spoken up for Steven and Tiwonge, particularly members of Congress and State Department officials. This is welcomed news that we hope will reverberate around the world in placesincluding our own countrywhere LGBT people are targeted for harassment and discrimination."
Pop icon Madonna took to her blog to thank the thousands of people who had joined her online campaign to release the two men, according to MonstersAndCritics.com . She wrote: "In the last week, over 30,000 of you added your name to mine calling for the release of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalangal...
"With incredible joy, I am writing to share with you that Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has ordered their release.'" |
|
|
|
This article shared 3251 times since Wed Jun 2, 2010
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
|
| | New Title IX rules protects LGBTQ+ students...to a point 2024-04-19 - New Title IX guidelines finalized April 19 will protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students by federal law and further safeguards of victims of campus sexual assault, according to ABC News. But those protections don't extend to ...
|
| | News is Out, Word In Black, Comcast NBCUniversal welcomes 16 Journalism Fellows to cover Black, LGBTQ+ communities 2024-04-16 - Philadelphia (April 15, 2024) — Today, News is Out and Word In Black, together announced the 16 fellows selected for The Digital Equity Local Voices Lab, a new initiative powered by Comcast NBCUniversal to place journalists ...
|
| | Brittney Griner, wife expecting first baby 2024-04-15 - Brittney Griner is expecting her first child with wife Cherelle Griner. According to NBC News, the couple announced on Instagram that they are expecting their baby in July. "Can't believe we're less than three months away ...
|
| | VIEWPOINT Meditation on the killing of journalists 2024-04-11 - Trigger warning: I am a journalist and I read newspapers. I've been reading newspapers since I first learned to read. Newspapers were a lively part of the daily life in my family. I even wrote letters ...
|
| | Ella Matthes, award-winning publisher, editor of Lesbian News Magazine, dies at 81 2024-04-05 --From an ILDKMedia press release - Los Angeles, CA - Ella Matthes, longtime publisher and editor of Lesbian News Magazine, passed away from a heart attack on March 16, 2024 at The Little Company of Mary hospital in Norwalk, California. She was ...
|
| | WORLD Lesbian sniper, HIV research, marriage items, Chinese singer, Korean festival 2024-04-05 - A lesbian Ukrainian sniper and her machine-gun-toting girlfriend are taking the fight to Russia President Vladimir Putin, according to a Daily Beast article. Olga—a veterinarian-turned-soldier—said her comrades don't care about ...
|
| | NATIONAL mpox, Trans+ Day of Visibility, police items, Best Buy, Gentili's death 2024-04-05 - The CDC has concluded that mpox cases are on the rise in the United States, increasing to almost double what they were at the same time last year, according to ABC News. There is a national year-to-date estimate of 511 cases ...
|
| | SHOWBIZ Dionne Warwick, OUTshine, Ariana DeBose, 'Showgirls,' 'Harlem' 2024-03-29 Video below - Iconic singer Dionne Warwick was honored for her decades-long advocacy work for people living with HIV/AIDS at a star-studded amfAR fundraising gala in Palm Beach, per the Palm Beach Daily News. Warwick received the "Award of ...
|
| | The Jeff Awards announces the 50th anniversary awards for non-equity theater 2024-03-26 --From a press release - A complete list of recipients can also be found online in the Non-Equity and News and Events sections at www.jeffawards.org. (March 25, 2024 - Chicago) — Celebrating its 50th anniversary awarding recognition for Non-Equity theater, the ...
|
| | NATIONAL Altercation, mpox research, Univ. of Fla., George Santos, tech battle 2024-03-08 - Video footage uploaded to Facebook showed an altercation between a state trooper and two prominent Philadelphia LGBTQ+ leaders, the Washington Blade reported, republishing an article from Philadelphia Gay News. Celena ...
|
| | NATIONAL School items, HIV/AIDS activist dies, Nex Benedict, inclusive parade 2024-03-01 - In a new survey, the Pew Research Center asked public K-12 teachers, teens and the U.S. public about the ongoing scrutiny placed on classroom curricula, mainly regarding race and LGBTQ+ identities, ABC News noted. Among other ...
|
| | Appeals court allows Ind. ban on gender-affirming care for minors 2024-03-01 - On Feb. 27, a federal appeals court in Chicago allowed Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care to go into effect, removing a temporary injunction that U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued last year, ABC News ...
|
| | Oklahoma non-binary student dies after being assaulted 2024-02-21 - Officials acknowledged there are unresolved questions about a 16-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom, NBC News noted. Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, ...
|
| | Democrat flips seat once held by George Santos 2024-02-14 - On Feb. 13 in New York, Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election to succeed the U.S. congressional seat formerly held by openly gay Republican George Santos, who was recently ousted. According to NBC News, Suozzi's ...
|
| | Comcast NBCUniversal partners with News is Out, Word In Black on fellowship program highlighting Black, LGBTQ+ issues 2024-02-06 --From a press release - Digital Equity Local Voices Lab Fellows to be placed at 16 local publications to receive training and create content Philadelphia (Feb. 6, 2024) — News is Out [ https://newsisout.com ] , a queer media collaborative of ...
| |
|
|
|
|