Malawi: Gay Marriage Was Actually an Engagement - Local Reporting

That "gay wedding" in Malawi, that featured two men (one dressed as a woman) who were promptly arrested on public indecency charges, was not a marriage ceremony at all. A reader wiser than we (and, apparently, Reuters) points out that guests actually attended a chinkhoswe, or a traditional engagement ceremony. At such an event, "usually, the couple is presented to the community, gifts are presented, and so forth," writes reader John, an American living in Malawi. His location helps, as he was able to offer these scans of the front page of Monday's The Nation newspaper, which reported on Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjez's engagement on its frontpage. Notes John: "The Nation, one of two daily papers in Malawi, published a front-page article on Monday (the chinkhoswe was on Saturday) with the headline 'GAYS ENGAGE.' I've attached the whole article, which includes a photo. The first thing one notices, looking at the accompanying picture: one of the two men, Tiwonge, is clearly dressed as a woman, makeup included. Although the masculine "he" is used throughout the article, Tiwonge is consistently referred to as the bride, while Steven is the bridegroom. This is not simply ignorant reporting; Tiwonge, according to the article, self-identifies as a woman. Full Story from Qyeerty: http://www.queerty.com/that-married-couple-from-malawi-was-actually-just-celebrating-an-engagement-still-illegal-though-20091230/

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