South Africa Weighs In on Malawi Trans Couple 

Numerous media outlets, including The Advocate, have written about the gay couple in Malawi who were sentenced to 14 years in prison for holding an engagement party. Now several reports suggest the two actually identify as a man and a transgender woman.

Tiwonge Chimbalanga identifies as a woman and her partner, Steven Monjeza, as her husband, according to the blog Questioning Transphobia and several trans activists in South Africa.

The couple’s arrest, conviction, and sentencing have prompted an outcry from activists, celebrities, and even the White House.

South African trans group Gender Dynamix has produced a video report of the country’s protest against the conviction and touches on the problems with referring to the couple as gay.