Will Malawian Couple Face Sex Test?

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

January 04 2010 3:00 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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Two 20-something men in Malawi who were married in a symbolic ceremony last weekend may be forced to undergo medical tests to prove whether they had sex.

The Guardian reports that Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza could face 14 years in prison if the government concludes they consummated their relationship -- gay acts are illegal in Malawi.

The men were arrested two days after they married and are claiming they haven't slept together yet, while their attorney is saying a medical experiment would infringe on their rights as citizens. They deny all charges against them but remain in custody pending a bail application on Monday.

Like nearby Uganda, which is weighing a bill that could sentence gays to death, Malawi is a deeply conservative nation.

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