Getting to leaders to speak out loud about gay issues – especially marriage is half the battle. Once they realise the sky does not collapse they get more confidence to stand up for fairness.
It’s especially remarkable that South African President Jacob Zuma has – in Parliament – condemned Malawi for its imprisonment of the gay couple who got engaged recently. African leaders almost never condemn each other: just witness their usual silence around the awful Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. And South Africa is the continent’s superpower. This might not overturn the whole sentence, but it’s a big development.
And the last thing: when leaders do speak out, you have to thank them and encourage them so that they are not scared back into silence next time there’s a problem. Three cheers for Jacob Zuma.
Tags: Jacob Zuma gay marriage, Malawi, South Africa, Zimbabwe gay marriage
