Friday, May 21, 2010

Malawi gay couple get maximum sentence of 14 years

From the BBC :

A judge in Malawi has imposed a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison with hard labour on a gay couple convicted of gross indecency and unnatural acts.

The judge apparently wanted to make them an example after they were arrested for holding an engagement ceremony in their home.  This is terrifying, and falls closely on the heels of the proposed death sentence for homosexuality in Uganda.  

What I fail to see is how the two men were harming anyone by affirming their commitment to one another.  When I read these articles, I end up back in the same circle of logic and anger that the social conservatives in the US regularly provoke in me, wondering how a government (or anyone, really) who claims to have the best interest of it’s people at heart can truly believe that a) people will change their sexual orientation if they believe they will be harshly punished for it and b) that allowing people to live openly in consensual adult relationships will threaten the moral fabric of society. 

I also worry about the message this sends to LGBTQ youth around the world.  Thankfully, I’m not the only one worrying about this.  If you’re feeling a little down after reading this short post, check out this short PSA of Harry Potter telling queer kids to be proud of who they are

No comments:

Post a Comment