History was
made by two gay inmates who got married inside a Cyprus prison. One of the
couples had to intentionally get himself sent to prison twice to be with his
lover.
Kevork
Tontian, 34, former heroin addict, met his Brazilian drug smuggler lover Wemson
Gabral da Costa, 30, during their game time in prison. They were given leave to
attend the Cyprus gay pride parade in 2019.
Their
relationship got so serious that Tontian, who was released two years ago, had
to break the law two times to be with Da Costa. The couple now works together
in prison’s archive and share the same cell have now become the first to be
married behind bars in the EU.
“We dare, we
dare, we asked. There is no shame. Love has no shame” Tontian said from the
prisons with Da Costa sitting beside him.
Tontian
found himself in prison in 2015 for drug-related offenses and has overcome his
addiction, disclosing that he has been drug-free for five years.
Tontian also said that Da Costa’s journey to Cyprus was complicated as he was rejected by his family for his sexual orientation. Da Costa lived on the street and prostituted himself to make ends meet.
His message to other gay inmates desirous of formalizing their relationships:
“Parents won't be with us our whole lives, at some point, the parents will leave. They should do it, they should dare. If they lose their family, so be it. At some point, the family will regret it"
Happy married life to the gay couple!!!