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Malawi Man Jailed for Promoting Gay Rights


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A Malawi man was arrested over the weekend for putting up posters supporting homosexuality.

Twenty-one-year-old Peter Sawali was putting up posters that read, “Gay Rights Are Human Rights.” Homosexuality is illegal in the southern African nation.

“Homosexuality is illegal in Malawi and is punishable by prison time and hard labor," police spokesman Davie Chingwalu said in a statement. "Basically, he was promoting a criminal act. This is what this is all about."

Sawali was carrying a stack of glossy posters all with the same message when he was arrested. Police are continuing to investigate because Sawali said he was not acting alone.

If convicted, Sawali would face up to five months in prison. Those found guilty of homosexuality in Malawi face up to 14 years in jail.

Read the full story here.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: m
    Date posted: 2/9/2010 11:16:48 AM
    Hometown: Seattle

    Comment:

    John, you are a moron. To wish harm on entire nations is selfish and hateful. To quote Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." If we wish to obtain equality we have to act civil and loving to those that do not see eye-to-eye in our cause. Oh, and how would you go about "collecting" all the gays? I have yet to see an actual "gaydar" that would assist you in your suggestion. Plus what about all the children who have yet to identify with their sexuality, would you wish harm to them as well? Your comments are as vile as Pat Robertson's rants.

  • Name: Brian
    Date posted: 2/8/2010 1:22:39 PM
    Hometown: Dallas, TX

    Comment:

    To say that the posters were "supporting homosexuality" seems like an odd choice of words, almost as if homosexuality is a political cause. One doesn't necessarily need to "support homosexuality" in order to believe in equal rights. Seems like the fliers were just promoting fairness under the law. Word choice is really key and I hope journalists will start thinking about their words more carefully. We'd see a lot more support in gay marriage polls if the question was phrased "do you believe that same sex couples should have a right to obtain government-issued, civil marriage licenses," than with the question of "do you support gay marriage?"

  • Name: Donald
    Date posted: 2/8/2010 9:33:33 AM
    Hometown: NYC

    Comment:

    How much money is this pig-sty of a country getting every year in US, Western and World Bank aid? I'm guessing its a considerable amount. Malawi couldn't function as an "independent" nation without Western economic and humanitarian aid. They obviously don't deserve a single dime if they are persecuting people who are gay.

  • Name: john in SF
    Date posted: 2/8/2010 8:01:23 AM
    Hometown: San Francisco

    Comment:

    The good thing about Malawi and Uganda here is that they are both in the Rift Valley, which will one day be a future lake bottom and possible the ocean floor when the whole valley goes under due to seismic activity. I say, get the gays out now by landing an air carrier and let's repatriate them here, maybe Oklahoma, and then let's just hope that nature does the rest. Bye-bye Rift Valley, see ya.

  • Name: Nathan
    Date posted: 2/8/2010 4:50:43 AM
    Hometown: Franklin

    Comment:

    I guess the U.S. and other countries shouldn't give money to a country where the government gets to decide what you can and cannot say.



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