Saturday, May 29, 2010

Greetings!

Hi, to all and sundry!

Absent, totally absent and not communicating. That is what has been happening with me.

My apologies to all friends and well wishers. Sometimes it kind of gets to one, and then one has to hunker down so as not to be consumed by one's own self.....

Best thing is, I am rested.

Masses of emails to go through. No. My world does not stop and wait for me just because I am doing so..... Means that I will have to limp on for some time before I catch up with all and sundry. Bear with me....

Have been feeling the blogging fires steering for sometime now.... but, what tipped the balance was hearing that the two guys in Malawi, the couple that celebrated their wedding, that they have been granted a presidential pardon.
BLANTYRE, Malawi – Malawi's president on Saturday pardoned and ordered the release of a gay couple sentenced to 14 years in prison, but warned that homosexuality remains illegal in the conservative southern African nation.

President Bingu wa Mutharika said he would release Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza on "humanitarian grounds only." He made the announcement during a press conference with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Lilongwe, the capital.
Of course, I would prefer that they were not condemned in the first place. And, they have endured at least 3 months in prison....

But, they are free to go. Ask yourself, in a country as conservative as Malawi, where even the judge refused to bail them for reasons of 'protecting them from the community'..... Where are they free to go to?

But, they are free.

Have you been following the Anti-Homosexuality Bill in Uganda? Ha! Hope you have.... There is a fabulous documentary, a must see by Current TV.
We are the stars... but I bet you most Ugandans will not see it. Neither have I. But, I am told that it is very interesting. Title is 'Missionaries of Hate'.

Be well.

And, thanks again, for the good wishes when I was incommunicado.


gug

7 comments:

Leonard said...

THIRT TRY (our lights keep going out here because we´re having a huge storm passing through Central America)

WELCOME BACK! So good to read you and to read about the wonderful NEWS regarding the release of Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza by the President of Malawi.

Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo has been touring Europe and the U.S. for six weeks and he´s a big HIT wherever he goes (he even attended the consecration of Mary Douglas Glasspool the new Suffragan Bishop of the diocese of Los Angeles--big news as she is TEC´s SECOND out Gay Bishop).

http://leonardoricardosanto.blogspot.com/2010/05/right-rev-christopher-senyonjo-of.html

Better not press my luck, it´s raging outside,

Leonardo

Karen said...

Welcome Back!

Yes, good news out of Malawi. Will be even better when we hear they are actually out of jail. . .

John-Julian, OJN said...

Ah, welcome back! It is SO good to see your posting, and to know that you are okay.

The "Missionaries of Hate" film is very fine and very, very powerful -- and sadly perhaps dangerous to those who came out on film. I hope it will be seen everywhere in the world. It is not fanatical or raging -- it just shows things the way they are!

But it makes me think that it must be like living at the edge of hell to be gay in Uganda today! It will probably take a generation or two for the nation to overcome the horrors of SSempa and his cronies.

Be safe, good friend. You are watched over by many of us....

spiralx said...

A good moment to return to the World Of Blog, with the Malawi news!

We now know that international pressure matters, and whether the politicos use a diplomatic fig-leaf or not, what matters is that justice prevails.

Where will they go? South Africa, surely. A hard new start, because they will have no money, and no jobs. Sadly, their relationship may not survive the pressure. But at least they have a chance to forge new lives, which was not the case before.

Daddy Squeeze Me! said...

We love you and keep up your fabulous work. I made a recent post using the email you sent me a few weeks ago. You can go view it on my blog, SPANK MY FOOGLE WOOGLE....im sure you will love it.

Thank You for all that you are doing,
DovieLee

Jean-Paul, Canada said...

Welcome back, mon cher ami.

It certainly was good news about Steven and Tiwonge, and I agree that they should never have been arrested in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Yay- you're back! I'm delighted to hear from you again- have been checking in every few days wondering if you are ok. Lots of good wishes from an anonymous friend in London!

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