Malawian lesbians to use female condoms

Chairperson for the committee, Ruth, said today in an interview on the sidelines of a female condom presentation by a gay rights delegation from the United States of America, who are on a five-day visit to appraise Malawian gays with rights advocacy skills. The event took place in Malawi's commercial city, Blantyre.

The US delegation donated 15 cartons of female condoms for members of the newly-formed association to protect themselves with, where they feel sex without them may put them at risk.

Ruth said time had now come for Malawians to realise that homosexuals were normal people who could use use their minds responsibly, especially in the face of HIV and AIDS. The country is one of those in sub-Saharan Africa hard-hit by the scourge to the extent that over 800 000 people have already died from HIV-related illnesses.

The country has also seen the rise in the number of orphans, currently at over 600 000, raising fears the formation of a gay-rights association could trigger the spread even further.

"We will use condoms where necessary. People have the wrong conception that whatever homosexuals do is associated with HIV and AIDS,but that is due to ignorance because there are a lot of things gays and lesbians do that do not expose one to the risk of contracting HIV and AIDS," said Ruth.

Ruth, an indigenous Malawian, also dispelled notions that only foreigners were perpetuating homosexual behaviour in Malawi, saying, as it were, both she and the movement's chairperson were indigenous Malawians.

"As it is at the moment, all our members are people born and bred in Malawi. We are all indigenous Malawians at the moment but are looking foward to welcoming everybody. Practicing gays from outside the country are especially asked to come forward so that we may learn from their experience. This we say because we are bracing for tough times ahead, where people and various government officials will try to frustrate us,"said Ruth, emphasizing that condom use and other forms of protection will be at the top of their agenda.

This, she said, will help in avoiding the US scenario, where HIV and AIDS begun rampaging the population before spiraling state-wide.

She said the movement expects more gay rights delegations to come to Malawi, to impart their knowledge and share experiences about how such movements work.

"We even know that we will contribute positively towards sustainable social-economic development; and that people will come to appreciate us. These things take time," she said.