Human Rights Lost Today in Malawi
By Leecia Eve on 05/20/2010 @ 06:00 PM
Today, a judge in Malawi sentenced two gay men to prison for fourteen years, with hard labor, simply because of who they are and their wish to be in a committed relationship. Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza were arrested in late December after they celebrated their engagement at a party in a hotel where Chimbalanga worked as a cook and a housekeeper. They were convicted on Tuesday and today received the maximum sentence possible for committing, in the judge’s view, “unnatural acts and gross indecency.” This is an extreme example of the horrible climate in which gay men and women live in Malawi.
The State Department has denounced the conviction. Indeed, Assistant Secretary Phillip Crowley said that “[t]he United States is deeply disappointed” in the conviction and that “we view the criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as a step backward in the protection of human rights in Malawi. The Government of Malawi must respect the human rights of all its citizens. The United States views the decriminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity as integral to the protection of human rights in Malawi and elsewhere around the world.”
We at No Limits could not agree more. We hope that other governments and people here and around the world who believe in human rights for all people will make clear their outrage about this decision. We will keep you posted on any developments.
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