Persons with same-sex orientation have spoken of the deepening hostility on their community and pleaded for their acceptability in the Malawian society.
In particular; they have cited physical and psychological attacks and also continued displacement from their homes.
And on their part; custodians of cultural values – traditional leaders; are worried also at the growing discrimination on lesbians, gays, transgender and bisexuals – LGBT community, which is instilling in them “some sense of fear, un-safety and insecurity”.
According to group village headman Chibwana; physical attacks are rampant on people of same-sex attraction in Traditional Authority Kuntaja, Blantyre where he comes from.
He cites: “violent attacks and displacement of lesbians and gays or those suspected of being lesbians, gays, transgender and bisexuals from their homes”.
But that’s not the only form of injustice on this community.
Eric Sambisa, a survivor of these attacks cum-activist, paints a gloomier picture of challenges facing the LGBT community including socioeconomic discrimination in form of job losses once identified of their sexual orientation.
Beside; he faults the Police for selective justice in handling incidents of assault and attacks on the LGBT community as perpetrators of these attacks are neither arrested nor taken to court.
“Why must the law apply different? We see people arrested for assault and taken to court; but why doesn’t the same apply when individuals of same-sex orientation are assaulted? Why is the law being applied selectively?” queries Sambisa.
Echoing Sambisa; Morson Khombedza, a victim of job-loss is worried by the job insecurity for lesbians, gays, transgender and bisexuals which is pushing them out of employment once identified.
“It is not easy to live with my sexual orientation in the employment industry because as for myself I lost my job after disclosure of my sexual identity as gay,” says Khombedza.
The Police, when contacted was not handy with details as deputy national spokesperson Gerald Namwaza asked for time to solicit information.
However, lawyer and human rights activist Osman Kennedy has blamed attacks on the LGBT community on the docility of the state to review laws infringing on rights of persons of same-sex orientation.
Laws aside; Kennedy also blames the Police for “doing too little or nothing on perpetrators who beat up lesbians and gays.
“Instead officers solicit money from them when they report about their attacks on the pretext that it is crime to be in a same-sex relation. Which laws are they using,” he queries.
Echoing Kennedy, Penelope Kamanga, programs manager for Centre for Solution Journalism says it’s time to engage traditional leaders to raise awareness on rights of the minority who continue to face different forms of discrimination and attacks.
“As custodians of culture; traditional leaders are a key entry-point in the protection of minority rights and also in combating this homophobia,” says Kamanga adding that her centre was now engaging traditional leaders to empower them on protection and respect of minority rights in communities.