Pastor And Boyfriend First In Kenya To Marry, Now Have To Flee
Edwin and Isaiah, a gay couple in Kenya who say they are the first homosexuals to publicly marry there, now feel forced to flee the country.
The couple say they have had to essentially hide out in a "cave," and hope to make it to Tanzania or Zanzibar for safety from those who oppose their union.
Edwin is a 37-year-old pastor in the Lutheran church, and Isaiah is a 25-year-old laborer.
After Edwin found a church in Kenya that accepted them, the couple decided to celebrate their union.
"The Kenyan government may not have a law for our marriage, but we were married under God’s law," Edwin told Gay Star News. "In Kenya, most of the people only marry for love. That’s what we did. I now have somebody in my life."
After Other Sheep, a Latin American-based Christian group, found out about the wedding, they wrote a blog post to congratulate the couple.
Eventually word spread to Isaiah's brother, who one day followed Isaiah into the city with a group of friends and started to attack him.
Isaiah escaped with heavy cuts and bruises after Edwin came to his rescue, and now they are trying to raise funds to stay with friends in a safer city.
Edwin says he doesn't regret having someone write about their wedding. Instead, he feels proud of it, as he wants to inform people about what is happening in his country.
"I know I have to go through this, and I know that some are following me. I will not regret who I am. If it means I have to die, I will die," he said.
"We cannot change the world by staying quiet," he added. "We can only change the world by talking, taking action, and speaking out."
