Trans Erasure in Malawi
It makes me so angry that my nation put the laws in place that have imprisoned Steven and Tiwonge - and that Western media continues to smother their voices.
Tiwonge is not a man - they are not a gay couple. Tiwonge is a trans woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9d2kXHYnJk
http://skipthemakeup.blogspot.com/2010/05/marriage-in-malawi-gay-issue.html
My people and their homophobia imprisoned them, and my people and their transphobia/white privilege has silenced their voices and misgendered Tiwonge so that they can push for equal marriage. Our struggles should not eclipse their struggles, we should fight for our rights equally.
Spread the word - to your newspapers, to your LGBT+ organisations, to every friend you have; Tiwonge is a woman.
This should strengthen and unite our communities, but it is, yet again, silencing trans voices to speak up for gay ones.
You can write to them here:
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, Prisoners, Chichiri Prison, P.O.Box 30117, Blantyre 3, Malawi
Tiwonge is not a man - they are not a gay couple. Tiwonge is a trans woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9d2kXHYnJk
http://skipthemakeup.blogspot.com/2010/05/marriage-in-malawi-gay-issue.html
My people and their homophobia imprisoned them, and my people and their transphobia/white privilege has silenced their voices and misgendered Tiwonge so that they can push for equal marriage. Our struggles should not eclipse their struggles, we should fight for our rights equally.
Spread the word - to your newspapers, to your LGBT+ organisations, to every friend you have; Tiwonge is a woman.
This should strengthen and unite our communities, but it is, yet again, silencing trans voices to speak up for gay ones.
You can write to them here:
Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza, Prisoners, Chichiri Prison, P.O.Box 30117, Blantyre 3, Malawi