Verdict Delayed for Gay Malawi Couple

@ 2026 Equal Entertainment LLC.
All rights reserved

        Verdict Delayed for Gay Malawi Couple
    
 Julie Bolcer
          
          Mar 22, 2010
          
        
Julie Bolcer
 See Full Bio 
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, the gay Malawi couple that expected to hear the verdict against them today for holding an engagement ceremony in December, instead heard they would receive a full trial in April. 

According to the BBC, in a courtroom packed for the hearing on Monday, a judge in Malawi told the men they will be allowed to call defense witnesses. 

Chimbalanga and Monjeza face a maximum of 14 years in prison for charges of "gross indecency" in what is considered a test case for gay rights in Malawi. They have already spent three months in jail since being arrested.

        
        FROM OUR SPONSORS
        
    

        
        The Latest
        
    
States
        Florida Republicans pass DeSantis-backed gerrymandered congressional maps
    Equality Florida and voting rights advocates say the map rigs congressional districts for Republicans while reducing representation for Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and young voters.
Christopher Wiggins
HIV
        Newly diagnosed with HIV? Advocates share their best advice for seeking treatment
    In this episode of The Talk, people living with HIV say it's important to honor your feelings, ask lots of questions, and develop a new routine.
Quispe López
National
        Samuel Alito justified a Supreme Court ruling that threatens majority-Black voting districts
     Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision could render Section 2 “all but a dead letter.”
Christopher Wiggins
Opinion
        What’s with Lindsey Graham’s inappropriate fixation on Trump’s amorous ballroom?
    Lindsey offers unquenching sycophancy for an audience of one, that sounds more like pillow talk than policy, writes John Casey
John Casey

        
        More For You
        
        Planning a trip to Oman? You may need an HIV test
    
Dawn Ennis
Apr 17, 2026
Sultanate of Oman, Muscat, the corniche of Muttrah, the old town of Muscat, waterfront building

        Stock photo / Getty Images
    
        A post on Facebook this week advised Filipino travelers to Oman that they may have to undergo a test for HIV to enter the country, not just for work but also to visit. And that information matches an international list of restrictions maintained by the HIV Justice Network, which includes more than 20 nations, such as Canada and Australia. Keep Reading →

        Viktor Orbán won't be the last anti-LGBTQ+ strongman to topple
    
Josh Ackley
Apr 13, 2026
Nationalist Viktor Orban, who has ruled Hungary for 16 years, on April 12, 2026 conceded defeat to conservative Peter Magyar in parliamentary elections.

        Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP via Getty Images
    
        One of the world's most openly homophobic and misogynistic leaders just lost power. Viktor Orbán is out. Keep Reading →

        Donald Trump telegraphs war crimes in profanity-filled Easter Sunday Iran threat
    
Christopher Wiggins
Apr 05, 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1, 2026, in Washington, DC.

        Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images
    
        A social media post from President Donald Trump on Sunday morning is drawing sharp scrutiny from legal experts and national security observers after the president threatened attacks on infrastructure in Iran, language that critics say echoes conduct prohibited under international law. Keep Reading →

        Pete Buttigieg & Robert Garcia join chorus of leaders condemning Donald Trump’s ‘war of choice’ with Iran
    
Christopher Wiggins
Feb 28, 2026
The U.S. Capitol is seen on February 28, 2026, in Washington, DC. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Israel had launched an attack on Iran on Saturday morning. 

        Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
    
        Political leaders around the country are expressing outrage over the start of armed conflict between the United States and Iran. Keep Reading →

        Retired Space Force colonel warns Trump’s Iran strikes are ‘reckless adventurism and distraction’
    
Christopher Wiggins
Feb 28, 2026
An NBC News live feed airs a clip from U.S. President Donald Trump’s Truth Social video announcement in the White House James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on February 28, 2026, in Washington, DC. 

        Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
    
        Update: Pete Buttigieg & Robert Garcia join chorus of leaders condemning Donald Trump’s ‘war of choice’ with Iran Keep Reading →

        Most Popular
        
Transgender Health
        Virginia researchers debunk the claim that most trans kids ‘grow out of it’
    A new study from Virginia Commonwealth University says the widely cited claim that most trans youth eventually stop identifying as transgender is built on flawed, outdated research.
Dawn Ennis
Culture
        Puerto Rico Senate leader attacks trans Miss Universe beauty pageant contestant
    Thomas Rivera Schatz called her participation a “shame and disgrace” as Gabriel Rodríguez Velázquez prepares to compete.
Jack Walker
Health
        Gays can't stop talking about 'PrEP belly,' but is it a real thing?
    This internet discourse is getting out of hand very quickly.
Ariel Messman-Rucker
Health
        Anal fissures are painful and common. Here's how to heal and get back to bottoming
    If you're a gay man who loves to bottom, these tips and tricks for healing anal fissures are for you.
Ariel Messman-Rucker
States
        Teacher fired for reading LGBTQ+ children’s book takes fight to Georgia Supreme Court
    The appeal could determine how far school districts can go in punishing teachers for books that touch on gender identity and inclusion.
Jacob Ogles
News
        Texas Tech University bans teaching, researching LGBTQ+ topics
    The university is phasing out discussions of sexuality and gender in the classroom.
Jack Walker

Site Navigation

Verdict Delayed for Gay Malawi Couple

The Latest

Florida Republicans pass DeSantis-backed gerrymandered congressional maps

Equality Florida and voting rights advocates say the map rigs congressional districts for Republicans while reducing representation for Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and young voters.

Newly diagnosed with HIV? Advocates share their best advice for seeking treatment

In this episode of The Talk, people living with HIV say it's important to honor your feelings, ask lots of questions, and develop a new routine.

Samuel Alito justified a Supreme Court ruling that threatens majority-Black voting districts

Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision could render Section 2 “all but a dead letter.”

What’s with Lindsey Graham’s inappropriate fixation on Trump’s amorous ballroom?

Lindsey offers unquenching sycophancy for an audience of one, that sounds more like pillow talk than policy, writes John Casey

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to betold.

FBI sends plane to Cuba to stop a trans kid from accessing gender-affirming care

13 LGBTQ+ British Royals in History

The Gay History of Abercrombie and Fitch Quarterly

Spain's Angela Ponce Is Miss Universe's First Transgender Contestant

Decriminalization of Gay Sex Boosts Global HIV Response: Report

More For You

Planning a trip to Oman? You may need an HIV test

Viktor Orbán won't be the last anti-LGBTQ+ strongman to topple

Pete Buttigieg & Robert Garcia join chorus of leaders condemning Donald Trump’s ‘war of choice’ with Iran

Retired Space Force colonel warns Trump’s Iran strikes are ‘reckless adventurism and distraction’

Most Popular

Virginia researchers debunk the claim that most trans kids ‘grow out of it’

A new study from Virginia Commonwealth University says the widely cited claim that most trans youth eventually stop identifying as transgender is built on flawed, outdated research.

Puerto Rico Senate leader attacks trans Miss Universe beauty pageant contestant

Thomas Rivera Schatz called her participation a “shame and disgrace” as Gabriel Rodríguez Velázquez prepares to compete.

Anal fissures are painful and common. Here's how to heal and get back to bottoming

If you're a gay man who loves to bottom, these tips and tricks for healing anal fissures are for you.

Teacher fired for reading LGBTQ+ children’s book takes fight to Georgia Supreme Court

The appeal could determine how far school districts can go in punishing teachers for books that touch on gender identity and inclusion.

Texas Tech University bans teaching, researching LGBTQ+ topics

The university is phasing out discussions of sexuality and gender in the classroom.

Latest Stories

Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week.

Verdict Delayed for Gay Malawi Couple

FROM OUR SPONSORS

The Latest

Equality Florida and voting rights advocates say the map rigs congressional districts for Republicans while reducing representation for Black, brown, LGBTQ+, and young voters.

In this episode of The Talk, people living with HIV say it's important to honor your feelings, ask lots of questions, and develop a new routine.

Justice Elena Kagan warned that the decision could render Section 2 “all but a dead letter.”

Lindsey offers unquenching sycophancy for an audience of one, that sounds more like pillow talk than policy, writes John Casey

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to betold.

More For You

Most Popular

A new study from Virginia Commonwealth University says the widely cited claim that most trans youth eventually stop identifying as transgender is built on flawed, outdated research.

Thomas Rivera Schatz called her participation a “shame and disgrace” as Gabriel Rodríguez Velázquez prepares to compete.

This internet discourse is getting out of hand very quickly.

If you're a gay man who loves to bottom, these tips and tricks for healing anal fissures are for you.

The appeal could determine how far school districts can go in punishing teachers for books that touch on gender identity and inclusion.

The university is phasing out discussions of sexuality and gender in the classroom.