• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga Freed

May 29, 2010 by Steve Pep

6a00d8341c730253ef013481d8a55a970c
What great news to wake up to this morning.

Malawai President Bingu wa Mutharika has officially pardoned Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, the gay couple who had been sentenced earlier this month to 14 years of hard labor under sodomy and indecency laws. You may remember that they were originally arrested after holding a public wedding ceremony in December.

President wa Mutharika clearly bowed to mounting pressure. His statement, according to the Daily Telegraph:

"These boys committed a crime against our culture, our religion and our laws, however, as the head of state I hereby pardon them and therefore ask for their immediate release with no conditions. I have done this on humanitarian grounds but this does not mean that I support this."

Update

White House Presidential press secretary Robert Gibbs has just released a statement about today's pardon:

"The White House is pleased to learn of President Bingu wa Mutharika's pardon of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. These individuals were not criminals and their struggle is not unique. 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."

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Malawi

Recent Posts

  • Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

    Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

    6 hours ago
  • Kathy Griffin Drags Gay Son of NFL Legend Herschel Walker After Finger-Wagging Rant Claiming Trump Won Election: WATCH

    Kathy Griffin Drags Gay Son of NFL Legend Herschel Walker After Finger-Wagging Rant Claiming Trump Won Election: WATCH

    11 hours ago
  • Trump Has Told Advisers That He Will Refuse to Leave White House on Inauguration Day: REPORT

    Trump Has Told Advisers That He Will Refuse to Leave White House on Inauguration Day: REPORT

    11 hours ago
  • Ellen DeGeneres Says COVID Gave Her ‘Excruciating’ Back Pain: WATCH

    Ellen DeGeneres Says COVID Gave Her ‘Excruciating’ Back Pain: WATCH

    13 hours ago
Previous Post: « Obama Issues LGBT Pride Month Proclamation
Next Post: Two ‘Flash’ Gay Pride Parades Held In Moscow »

Primary Sidebar

  • Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

  • Kathy Griffin Drags Gay Son of NFL Legend Herschel Walker After Finger-Wagging Rant Claiming Trump Won Election: WATCH

  • Trump Has Told Advisers That He Will Refuse to Leave White House on Inauguration Day: REPORT

Recent Posts

  • Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

    Gloria Gaynor, Herd Immunity, Louie Gohmert, Dianne Feinstein, Ian McKellen, Tyson, WAP, Billy Porter: HOT LINKS

    6 hours ago
  • Kathy Griffin Drags Gay Son of NFL Legend Herschel Walker After Finger-Wagging Rant Claiming Trump Won Election: WATCH

    Kathy Griffin Drags Gay Son of NFL Legend Herschel Walker After Finger-Wagging Rant Claiming Trump Won Election: WATCH

    11 hours ago
  • Trump Has Told Advisers That He Will Refuse to Leave White House on Inauguration Day: REPORT

    Trump Has Told Advisers That He Will Refuse to Leave White House on Inauguration Day: REPORT

    11 hours ago
  • Ellen DeGeneres Says COVID Gave Her ‘Excruciating’ Back Pain: WATCH

    Ellen DeGeneres Says COVID Gave Her ‘Excruciating’ Back Pain: WATCH

    13 hours ago
  • GOP Rep. Joe Wilson, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Test Positive for COVID

    GOP Rep. Joe Wilson, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt Test Positive for COVID

    14 hours ago
  • Nicolle Wallace Smacks Down Pearl-Clutching Marco Rubio After Biden Campaign Manager Calls GOP Lawmakers ‘a Bunch of F**kers’

    Nicolle Wallace Smacks Down Pearl-Clutching Marco Rubio After Biden Campaign Manager Calls GOP Lawmakers ‘a Bunch of F**kers’

    14 hours ago
  • Atlantic City Mayor Auctions Off Opportunity to Demolish Trump’s Casino: WATCH

    Atlantic City Mayor Auctions Off Opportunity to Demolish Trump’s Casino: WATCH

    14 hours ago
  • French President Emmanuel Macron Tests Positive for COVID, is Symptomatic

    French President Emmanuel Macron Tests Positive for COVID, is Symptomatic

    15 hours ago
  • Mike Pence Will Preside Over Final Confirmation of Biden’s Victory and Then Fly Out of Town

    Mike Pence Will Preside Over Final Confirmation of Biden’s Victory and Then Fly Out of Town

    15 hours ago
  • Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

    Pompeo Holiday Bash, Letitia James, Rupert Everett, Wild Mink, Arlo Parks, Billie Eilish, Moscow Mitch: HOT LINKS

    1 day ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2020 ยท Log in