Malawi’s going to get some gay action this weekend!
Despite some public opposition, the Malawi Gay Rights Movement announced they plan to make their official launch. And, in a surprising turn of events, claim President Bingu wa Mutharika gave them the green light:
Magrim interim chairperson, Mc Leod said the launch for the association, which reportedly has 3,890 members, is planned for Saturday 13th September 2008 in Blantyre coming after claims that President Mutharika has given them moral support to exist.
“The leadership of Magrim sought an audience with the President to seek permission to launch the movement. The President has wished us well and promised to grant an audience when he returns from USA where he has gone for a UN summit,” said Magrin spokesman.
Despite the president’s support, Malawi’s legal code still rails against the gays and prescribes hard labor as punishment. And not the good “hard labor.”
John
Who knows if it’ll last. And in Africa, it is always about ego rather than policy.
When the MDC was trying to overthrow Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe last year, opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai made all sorts of crazy promises. One of those was to repeal the nation’s sodomy law.
Now that they’re in this “power sharing” agreement with Mugabe, however, I wouldn’t hold my breath on any gay-related reforms. (sigh)