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Methodist Minister Sets Himself On Fire To Protest Homophobia: Today In Gay

Janet Chikaya-Banda

Malawi has suspended its law against homosexuality pending a review of the penal code, Secretary for Justice Janet Chikaya-Banda told the UN.

Exactly when that review would take place is unclear, as Banda told a UN committee a lack of financial resources has stalled the process, but that there is definitely political will to address the matter.

Currently, same-sex relations in Malawi are punishable by up to 14 years in prison with hard labor.

Addressing claims that homophobic violence is on the rise in the country, Banda said "Malawi has not set up a mechanism to specifically monitor cases of violence based on intimate orientation nor has it set up awareness-raising campaigns. She added that, “all cases of violence are handled in the same way regardless of the cause or alleged basis of the violence.”


Last year, 65% of voters approved a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage but Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said he was determined to give gay couples legal rights.

“Although the law is a bit conservative and doesn’t enable adoption, it is essential for same-sex couples," said Daniel Martinovic of Zagreb Pride. “It gives couples legal recognition, all major rights, and is satisfactory in every way. In addition, we would like to enable lifetime partnerships for heterosexual couples, thus ending this ‘segregation’.”


Yesterday, he met with representatives of the Manchester Canalsiders, a gay rugby group, at Taurus, a popular Manchester gay bar. ‘This venue, more than most, stands on matters of homophobia, so in a sense it’s natural to host this event here," Taurus owner Iain Scott told Gay Star News."We’re delighted to have [Hardaker] here. The fact of the matter is, the guy held his hands up, admitted to saying the wrong thing at the wrong time."

By all accounts the meeting was a success—Hardaker met and trained with the Canalsiders, the UK's first LGBT rugby team, this week as he prepared for his ­comeback match on Thursday.

“The Canalsiders have been terrific and at least some good has come out of what happened," Hardaker, 22, told The Mirror. "They recognized it was just a heat of the moment comment and I am really thankful for their support. I think it has helped to raise certain issues, including the profile of the club, so that’s great. I have learned what you can and can’t say and how it affects different people."


A retired United Methodist minister shocked his community when he set himself on fire to protest racism and homophobia.

The Rev. Charles Moore, 79, committed suicide on June 23 in his childhood home of Grand Saline, Texas, where he doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire. Moore reportedly chose Grand Saline because he associated the town with prejudice—he witnessed a lynching there as a boy.

Moore was long active in social causes, from segregation and the death penalty, to more recently battling homophobia in the Methodist church. He encouraged gay Christians to join his congregation and, in 1995, started a hunger strike to protest against the United Methodist Church’s treatment of gays and lesbians.

Moore had “a conviction that if the Bible stood for anything, it stood for radical inclusiveness,” said a colleague, the Rev. Sid Hall. “If you ever were on the side of powerlessness, if you were ever on the margins yourself and were looking for someone to help you, Charles was the person.”

Notes discovered after his death gave clues to Moore's intentions. In one, he wrote “I would much prefer to go on living and enjoy my beloved wife and grandchildren and others, but I have come to believe that only my self-immolation will get the attention of anybody and perhaps inspire some to higher service.”

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