Cedep condemns plans for anti-gay protests by Evangelical Association of Malawi

Gay rights advocacy body, Centre for the Development of People (Cedep),  has condemened plans by the Ethics, Peace and Justice Commission [EPJC]—a social governance arm of the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM)— to hold  a countrywide march against gays and abortion calls.

Cedep executive director Gift Trapence said the church should be promoting non-discrimination, saying demonstrations will  drive the minority group underground.of as a matter of human rights, public health and public order.

“In a country where lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons ( LGBT) people are already marginalised and need to hide for fear for arbitrary violence , the planned demonstrations is an appalling move to further curtail the rights of LGBT people, and those who support them,” Trapence observed.

Her regretted “church-sponsored homophobia.”

EPJC, an umbrella body of about 122 church denominations and Christian organisations , plan to march for life and family in all 28 districts in the country.

“The march will take place in all districts in the country with the objective of according Malawians irrespective of political, social and religious divide an opportunity to publicly affirm that sex and marriage is between man and woman and that life begins at conception,” said the statement sent to Nyasa Times  signed by chairperson of the EPJC national coordinator Zaac Kawalala and the group’s interim national coordinating secretary Makhumbo Munthali.

Recetly President Peter Mutharika said  the problems facing the country are signs of “moral degradation in our society” and that Malawians are “far away from God’s Commandments.”