The Dangers Posed by Homophobia and Hatred: 12 Life Stories ¨intended to invoke compassion¨ in AFRICA

¨Months after the imprisonment and subsequent release of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action (GALA) and the Centre for the Development of People (CEDEP) are publishing a groundbreaking book telling the stories of twelve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons in Malawi.

The accounts in the book portray the joys of love and the heartache of rejection, the dangers posed by homophobia and hatred in communities, and the sublime comfort of close friends and relatives.

According to the publishers, the twelve life stories are "intended to invoke compassion and support for the rights of African LGBTI people to live freely and harmoniously alongside their heterosexual counterparts in Malawi and beyond her borders".

The making of the book is fascinating in its own right: Dr Patricia Watson, an expert in oral history practice in South Africa, designed and facilitated oral history workshops in Malawi during which most of the 12 participants' experiences were recounted, recorded and translated into English. HERE

· Thanks to Gay and Lesbian Memory in Action, Malawi
· Thanks to Centre for the Development of People
· Thanks to Dr. Patricia Watson
· Thanks to Zanele Muholi, Faces and Phases
· Thanks to African Activist, sidebar