Concerns are rising in Malawi over a noticeable increase in open Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer + visibility and activity among Gen Z youth, despite strict legal prohibitions against same-sex relations in the country.

Community observers note that young people born in the 2000s are increasingly expressing their sexual orientation and gender identity publicly, defying longstanding social taboos and existing legal frameworks.

Under Malawi’s Penal Code, consensual same-sex relations remain criminalised, carrying potential sentences of up to 14 years in prison. Although a government moratorium on arrests under these provisions has been in place for several years, the country’s Constitutional Court upheld the validity of the laws following a legal challenge in 2024, maintaining that any legislative reform remains the responsibility of Parliament.

–ChannelAfrica–