The interim chairperson of MAGRM, Mc Leod, said the scenery was deliberate, in the sense that, “we have been living in fear ever since news of our intended launch broke out. Some of us have been aware of the hate emanating from some quarters of society, as espoused in newspaper opinion articles.”

“But we are happy that, for a moment, we began to influence national debate: you have seen some pastor-columnists commenting on homosexuality, as well as members of the general public, but we know that we are fighting for the rights of our children," he added.

He said arrangements were made carefully, as any lapses would have meant trouble for the people who graced the occasion. Leod cited assertions by some members of the public that all those fighting for gay rights in Malawi be dealt with, by hook or crook, a development he termed as worrisome and against the principals of human rights.

Concerns

"We are Malawians, this is our country, and, apart from it, we have nowhere to live. Why are some ill-informed individuals worried about something that does not concern them; it is very unfair to us. All we want is love and peaceful co-existence because we did not wish to be gays, it is natural. While others may claim to be gays as a means of showing off, to most of us it is natural, like heterosexuality, and we are happy to be what we are," Mc Leod said.

Leod said: "Gay rights are human rights, and people must come to terms with that fact. Whether one likes it or not, we have homosexuals in Malawi, and these people are now ready to stand for their rights. And, in addition, we have well-wishers from around the world who have seen our desperation and sad situation and are willing to help.”

“We hope to meet the country's leaders very soon, we have plans to lobby them before the May 19, 2009 general elections, so that we, too, may vote for people who recognise that we form a very good component of the electorate and can influence the outcome of the elections in a big way," he said.

For the launch in Blantyre, people had to park their vehicles far away from the venue of the launch. They either parked their vehicles in the township of Chilobwe, Manja, Mkolokosa, Soche East, or Zingwangwa, according to Mc Leod, who added that, next time they meet, they hope for a formal place, as their organisation grows and becomes more accepted by Malawian society.

"Next week we will be in Lilongwe (Malawi's capital city) and, then, Mzuzu (in Northern Malawi), where we plan to establish branches, so that we reach as many people as possible. I tell you, Malawi has a lot of gay people who have remained oppressed over the years by outdated laws but are now ready to stand up for their rights. Surpressing us is like imposing a new form of colonialism," said Mc Leod.

He disclosed that they will soon be receiving a foreign delegation for an orientation on effective advocacy campaigns, a development he said will empower them to scale up their activities for gay people to be able to contribute towards sustainable, social-economic development.

One of the people who attended the launching ceremony, Gladys, said she liked the setting, as it reflected well on what homosexuality is all about. She said the natural setting simply reflected that being gay or lesbian in sexuality was natural.

"Life in Malawi should not revolve around anti-gay perceptions; there is so much to it. After all, we are not doing the things the constitution prohibits, all we are saying is that, these things are real, that nature is also real," she said.

Malawi laws criminalise same sex marriages.