TIG Post

Tag: Lesbian

  • Wendy Shay takes legal action against perpetrator behind lesbian claims

    Wendy Shay takes legal action against perpetrator behind lesbian claims

    Singer Wendy Shay has officially filed a complaint with the Ghana Police Service concerning allegations that she is engaged in lesbianism with a young girl she has adopted, known as Tracy Shay.

    A young man, in a viral video, alleges that Wendy is acting on a spiritualist’s instructions to engage in inappropriate conduct with the minor.

    Wendy is therefore urging the public to help identify the perpetrator so the person can be held accountable.

    “The matter has been formally reported to the Ghana Police Service, and active investigations are underway. I have been informed that the individual behind the account has been traced to the United Arab Emirates, where he is currently employed with a construction company. Further steps are being taken through the appropriate channels to ensure he is held accountable for his actions.

    “I am cooperating fully with the police and trust the investigation process to bring this matter to a swift and just resolution. I further encourage us all to continue standing against cyberbullying, online harassment, and malicious attacks on innocent people,” the statement shared on November 19, 2025, read.

    Legal representatives of renowned gospel musician Evangelist Diana Asamoah also strongly refuted claims suggesting that she is a lesbian.

    In a statement addressing a viral video circulating on social media, the legal team dismissed the allegations as slanderous and baseless.

    The video, featuring a woman of unknown identity, insinuates that the gospel singer is involved in same-sex relationships.

    According to the statement, Evangelist Diana Asamoah categorically denies the claim and maintains that she does not engage in any form of lesbianism.

    Her legal representatives have challenged the individual behind the accusations to step forward and provide evidence, indicating their readiness to contest the matter in court.

    “In the circumstances, we are throwing a challenge to the lady in the video to own up and justify her vile allegations so we contest her baseless claim in a court of competent jurisdiction,” the statement read.

    The legal team further urged the public to disregard the video should the accuser fail to substantiate her claims.

    This development follows a growing trend of public figures facing unfounded allegations online, raising concerns about misinformation and defamation on social media.

    A dancer and member of the DWP Academy, Lisa Quama, has addressed speculations surrounding her style of dressing, firmly stating that her fashion choices do not define her sexuality.

    Despite acknowledging her tomboyish style, Lisa strongly dismissed claims that she is a lesbian, emphasizing that one’s choice of clothing does not determine their sexual orientation.

    “I am not a lesbian. That is a sexual narrative, but a tomboy is simply someone comfortable in male clothes. Yes! I love men with all my heart,” she clarified on The Delay Show on March 8, 2025

    Lisa initially hesitated when asked whether she identified as a tomboy. However, after persistent questioning from the host, she eventually embraced the label.

    “I don’t want to say yes… I will never be a boy because I am a girl. I am not dressing like a boy… You know what? I am a tomboy. I have accepted that I am a tomboy,” she admitted.

    Her remarks come in response to ongoing social media discussions about her appearance, reinforcing the point that personal style should not be mistaken for one’s sexuality.

    Ace Ghanaian Highlife musician and actress Paulina Oduro has hit back at rumors about her sexuality, calling them baseless and absurd.

    Addressing the speculation that she is a lesbian, she expressed frustration over such claims, emphasizing that her role as a mother should be enough to dismiss the allegations.

    “I had an interview with Delay, and she said people say I am a lesbian,” Oduro recalled during a discussion on Joy Prime on March 26, 2025. “I ended up saying they are very stupid and idiots because I have three kids and an amazing relationship with my partners.”

    The veteran musician, who has remained single for some time, noted that her happiness is not dependent on being in a relationship. She asserted that she is emotionally independent and does not need a romantic partner to feel fulfilled.

    “I have been on my own for a while. I don’t need a man or another human being to make me happy,” she stated. “You can be who you want to be, but don’t label me because it is something I don’t like.”

    Paulina Oduro’s response comes on the back of public scrutiny regarding her relationship status, with some speculating about her sexual orientation. She expressed disappointment that people could fabricate such claims simply because she has chosen to remain single.

    With a long-standing career in entertainment, Oduro has built a reputation as a bold and outspoken personality. She made it clear that she refuses to conform to societal expectations or entertain false narratives about her personal life.

  • My friend who advised me against having a boyfriend turned me into a lesbian – Woman

    My friend who advised me against having a boyfriend turned me into a lesbian – Woman

    A Ghanaian woman, Tee, not her real name, has shared how an encounter with a fellow student, Bee, during her time in Senior High School (SHS) influenced her life .

    Speaking on Onua FM, Tee  mentioned that the supposed friend she met during an inter-school games competition initiated her into lesbianism.

    According to her, she was busy cheering her school on when Bee, who was from another school, approached and asked her to help her clean her mess as it was that time of the month.

    Tee said she escorted her helpless friend to her dormitory and gave her certain items to clean herself up.

    She stated that after that incident they became close such that whenever the latter comes for inter-school competition she comes around to look for her.

    The young lady added that their friendship didn’t end as the lady she extended a helping hand became fond of her and asked that she visit her home.

    “During my time in high school, I was introduced to lesbianism. It happened during inter school games while I was supporting our team. A fellow student approached me, informing me that she had soiled her uniform. In an act of kindness, I escorted her to my dormitory so she could clean up. I provided her with a pad and a new panty, and from that moment, we formed a close friendship,” she stated.

    She accepted the invitation and visited her home; where she spent about a week.

    During that period, according to her, they both shared the same bed.

    “When we vacated she invited me home. I spent a week at her house. We shared the same bed. She started asking about my relationship status. She advised me not to enter into a relationship with a guy. She started fondling me and I became addicted,” she added.

    Per her account, the young lady started making advances towards her after she learned she wasn’t in a relationship.

    Bee revealed that Tee advised her not to enter into a relationship with a guy since that could jeopardize her life.

    To Tee, she embraced her friend’s caution with good fate, little did she know Bee was interested in her.

    According to her, Bee started fondling her, which initially she wasn’t interested in, however, she eventually succumbed because she enjoyed every bit of it.

    “She fondled me, I told her I didn’t lick that, it got to a time I gave up because I fell for it. I ended up fondling her and doing the same things she does to me,”she added.



  • I am yet to receive anti-gay bill – Akufo-Addo

    I am yet to receive anti-gay bill – Akufo-Addo


    President Akufo-Addo clarified in a message to the diplomatic community on Monday, March 4, that the anti-LGBTQI bill has not yet reached his office.

    Despite concerns within certain diplomatic circles, the president assured that the recent bipartisan approval of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill by Parliament will not compromise the country’s commendable human rights record.

    Addressing anxieties about a potential shift in Ghana’s stance on human rights and the rule of law, President Akufo-Addo emphasized that he would not entertain any regression in these principles.

    While refraining from delving into the bill’s origin, which is pending on his desk, he acknowledged that a concerned citizen has filed a constitutional challenge at the Supreme Court regarding the proposed legislation.

    The president urged patience, suggesting that everyone await the court’s decision before taking any action.

    He underscored the pivotal role of Ghanaian state institutions in shaping the future trajectory of rule of law and human rights compliance in the country.

  • List of countries that passed laws against LGBTQ+

    List of countries that passed laws against LGBTQ+

    National laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between adults exist in a minimum of 67 countries.

    These laws may specifically target certain sexual acts, and in some cases, they are general and open to interpretation.

    Penalties range from fines to life imprisonment and, in extreme cases, the death penalty.

    Law enforcement agencies in certain places actively pursue and prosecute individuals suspected of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

    In other instances, while the laws are rarely enforced, they still have severe consequences for LGBTQ+ people, affecting their access to employment, health services, and police protection.

    Furthermore, at least nine countries have national laws criminalizing forms of gender expression that disproportionately impact transgender and gender nonconforming individuals. For example:

    1. Southern and Western Asia (Brunei and Oman) criminalize “posing as” or “imitating” a person of a different sex.

    2.Saudi Arabia routinely arrests people based on their gender expression.

    3. Malaysia penalizes “posing as” a different sex in its Sharia codes.

    3. Nigeria criminalizes transgender and gender nonconforming people in its northern states under Sharia.

    4. South Sudan applies such laws only to men who “dress as women.”

    5. Malawi criminalizes men who wear their hair long.

    6. Tonga prohibits any “male person” from presenting as a female while “soliciting for an immoral purpose.”

    7. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has laws prohibiting men from “posing as” women in women-only spaces, which they have used to prosecute gay and transgender people even in mixed-gender spaces.

    Additionally, 15 countries maintain unequal ages of consent, imposing a higher bar for same-sex couples than different-sex couples or for anal sex compared to vaginal sex.

    This includes countries like Canada and Chile.

    In 11 states of the United States, unenforceable laws prohibiting consensual same-sex conduct remain on the books despite a 2003 Supreme Court decision that found such laws unconstitutional.

    However, in Ghana, the law to criminalize lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalizes their promotion, advocacy, and funding in the country awaits approval from President Akufo-Addo .

  • What is the use if we can’t hold hands in public – Lesbian couple reacts to blessings for same-sex partners

    What is the use if we can’t hold hands in public – Lesbian couple reacts to blessings for same-sex partners

    In a nation where religious condemnation of homosexuality is fervent and legal consequences for same-sex relationships are severe, Ghanaian couple Kay and Naa Shika grapple with a profound fear for their safety that eclipses concerns about societal acceptance.

    “We are not safe,” confesses 27-year-old Kay, speaking to Reuters in Accra under the condition of anonymity for herself and her partner, according to Graphiconline.

    Their apprehension has only intensified following a landmark ruling in December permitting Roman Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions, a decision approved by Pope Francis. However, this development has encountered staunch opposition from African bishops, exacerbating rather than assuaging tensions toward the LGBTQ+ community within Ghana’s Catholic populace, according to Kay.

    The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has staunchly resisted compliance with the Pope’s directive, with Father Dominic Maximilian Ofori expressing concerns that the Pontiff’s position has provoked discontent among Ghanaian Catholics.

    In a notable statement in January, Pope Francis acknowledged the unique challenges facing Africans in the wake of his decision, implying an awareness of the backlash it has incited.

    “What is the use (of a blessing) if my partner and I can’t hold hands and walk down the street,” she said. “Even when we don’t identify openly, some people, based on rumours, can harm us mentally or even physically.”

    Kay observed that the resistance to the Pope’s decision has amplified demands for the swift enactment of legislation that would heighten penalties for same-sex relationships and transgender identity, while also criminalizing any form of advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights.

    Pope Francis has responded to criticism of his decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples, labeling the opposition as “hypocrisy.”

    The authorization of blessings for LGBT couples was granted last month through a Vatican document named Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust).

    However, this decision has faced significant pushback within the Catholic Church, especially from African bishops.

    “Nobody gets scandalised if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps exploits people, and this is a very grave sin. But they get scandalised if I give them to a homosexual,” Francis told Italian Catholic magazine Credere.

    “This is hypocrisy,” he said.

    Credere released excerpts of the interview on Wednesday, one day before its scheduled publication date.

    Additionally, Francis affirmed that he “always” extends a welcome to LGBT individuals and remarried divorcees for the sacrament of confession, as reported by another passage published by Vatican media.

    “No one should be denied a blessing. Everyone, everyone, everyone” the pontiff said, repeating a three-word slogan he used in August during a Catholic youth festival in Portugal.

    At the outset of his papacy, Francis famously remarked “Who am I to judge?” when questioned about homosexuality, signaling his intention to foster a more inclusive and compassionate Catholic Church.

    Making the Church more welcoming and less judgmental has become one of Francis’s key objectives, despite facing criticism from conservatives who argue that this approach risks diluting the Church’s moral teachings.

    Francis has consistently defended the Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans, which authorized blessings for same-sex couples, while acknowledging the resistance it has encountered. He has emphasized the importance of priests considering local sensitivities when administering these blessings.

    Furthermore, Francis has clarified that these blessings do not signify formal Church approval for same-sex unions, seeking to address concerns within the Church about maintaining doctrinal integrity.

    “When a couple comes forward spontaneously to ask for them, one does not bless the union, but simply the people who together have requested it. Not the union, but the persons,” Francis said on Jan. 26.

  • Lesbians don’t have a look, let Wendy Shay be —Charlie Dior to songstress critics

    Lesbians don’t have a look, let Wendy Shay be —Charlie Dior to songstress critics

    Famous Ghanaian fashion critic Charlie Dior, based in the United States, has refuted claims suggesting that singer Wendy Shay is a lesbian based on her fashion choices.

    He addressed the issue after receiving a call from a friend who expressed the belief that Wendy Shay’s dressing style implied she might be a lesbian, given its inclination towards a more masculine appearance.

    Charlie Dior clarified that one’s fashion choices do not determine their sexual orientation, emphasising that individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, or otherwise do not conform to a specific fashion identity.

    During an Instagram live session, Charlie Dior encouraged the public not to jump to conclusions about Wendy Shay’s sexual orientation based solely on her fashion preferences.

    “One of my friends called me some time ago and said that she thinks Wendy Shay is a lesbian; then I asked why she would say that. The person said it was because of the way Wendy Shay dresses.

    “This is bad and you all need to stop that because lesbians don’t have a look so leave Wendy Shay alone. But I must admit that she has found her style of dressing and that’s good,” he said.

    There have been inquiries into Wendy Shay’s fashion choices, with some suggesting that her style often leans towards a more masculine presentation rather than aligning with her true gender identity.

    Despite the speculation circulating on social media, Wendy Shay has remained silent and refrained from responding to the claims made by certain individuals regarding her fashion sense.

  • MP uncertain anti-LGBTQ+ bill will survive in Ghana after passage

    MP uncertain anti-LGBTQ+ bill will survive in Ghana after passage

    Chairman of the Constitutional, Parliamentary, and Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament has raised doubts about the implementation of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 (anti-LGBTQI bill), which Parliament is considering.

    According to Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Akim Central, even though the bill has been fine tuned to ensure that it conforms with the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, implementing it will be very difficult if it is passed into law.

    Speaking in an interview on Neat FM on Friday, monitored by GhanaWeb, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) explained that prosecuting LGBTI activities in Ghana will be difficult because these activities are not done in the public.

    “This bill tells the public that Ghanaians do not condone LGBTQ+ activities, but from where I stand, I think that the enforcement of this law will be very difficult.

    “Because if people are engaging in these activities in their rooms, it will be difficult for them to be dealt with. Unless they come out to say they engaged in these acts, what evidence can you provide for their prosecution?” he said in Twi.

    He added that the country already has a law which forbids ‘unnatural carnal knowledge’ and that the house will be considering issues surrounding people of the same sex adopting children, among others.

    Meanwhile, Parliament is expected to debate and pass the anti-gay bill. This is after the Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament presented the final draft of the, which was sponsored by a group of bi-partisan Members of Parliament, to the plenary.

  • Which human right did the church destroy? – Catholic Bishops Conference takes on CNN

    Bishop Matthew Gyamfi, president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, has criticized CNN for a report that claims that it and other churches in Ghana received funding and foreign aid from organizations in the US, UK, and Europe that support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) activities.

    In the report, CNN said the churches received not less than $5.1 million in monies from donors for development projects by or for the church but continued to promote no support for same-sex rights.

    But speaking to GhanaWeb in a phone interview, the Catholic bishop wondered which aspects of human rights the church had trampled on and for what reason the CNN report would seek to impugn it for receiving donor funds from countries that support LGBTQ rights.

    He also explained how it is that churches in Ghana receive such donations from foreign countries.

    “We are not taking any money to promote LGBTQ but remember that the churches here- many of the churches, also have branches in the United States, in Europe, and elsewhere; and the church does charity work. Now, some of these branches take money from the government to add to what the church also has, and these governments help the church execute development projects and other issues in the country.

    “So, it’s not a new thing for anybody to say… So, which human right did the church destroy; human rights approved by the United Nations… has the church frowned upon?” he quizzed.

    Background

    Find below the breakdown of the donations to the various churches cited by the report:

    Import of the report?

    The report, through its findings, sought to suggest that these churches in Ghana still benefitted from millions in Western aid despite having campaigned and strictly stated their stance against LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana.

    CNN spoke to some foreign organisations who clearly stated their displeasure about the fact that donor countries who have widely indicated their support for human rights, gender diversity and sexual rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community are still making room to donate to churches and organisations in countries like Ghana who are against the same course.

    Some leaders of these organisations who spoke to CNN said these as captured below:

    “It’s like stating you’re going to go green and then funding the petrol industry,” said Neil Datta, executive director of the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights. Donor agencies need to be “more aware that sexual and reproductive rights are contested issues”, and make sure that “they are not inadvertently funding the organizations who are working against some of their other objectives,” he said, calling for stricter “background checks” on potential grantees.

    “This reveals inconsistencies in the funding practices of major donors and implicates them as complicit in fostering homophobia and transphobia in Ghana,” said Caroline Koussaiman, executive director of the Initiative Sankofa d’Afrique de l’Ouest (ISDAO), an activist-led fund supporting gender diversity and sexual rights in West Africa. “This is the antithesis of “do no harm” principles.”

    “We need donors to support our struggles for liberation, and not directly or indirectly fund anti-gender movements which we know are extremely well resourced,” she added.

    Foreign donations suggest fostering homophobia or transphobia?

    CNN in its report also spoke to some of these foreign donors to enquire how that monies were still being sent to churches in countries that were homophobic.

    This was despite its indication that these foreign donations cannot be said to be used for funding anti-LGBTQ activities but generally for developmental purposes.

    “There is no indication the funding identified went to any explicitly anti-LGBTQI+ activities,” the CNN report said.

    While some of these donors indicated that support had been stopped in that regard, some others said the funding was done under now-outdated guidelines.

    Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for instance, told CNN it “is not responsible for the use of these [identified] funds,” saying they go directly from people’s taxes to different religious organizations that distribute the money for development work.

    Below are some of the donations as listed by CNN’s report:

    1. Citing the Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) for instance, the CNN report said that more than $140,000 of taxpayers’ monies from the UK [which is a co-chair of the international Equal Rights Coalition, an intergovernmental organization that protects LGBTQI+ community members worldwide] was donated to the council between the period of 2018-2020.

    2. CNN’s analysis also found that some other members of the Equal Rights Coalition — the US, Germany, and Italy — funded projects by or for some of these churches in Ghana that have opposed LGBTQI+ rights “before, during, and after they benefited from aid money”.

    3. In 2018 also, £100,000 (about $130,000) of the UK taxpayers’ money went to the Christian Council with a stated goal of fighting corruption in schools, the report further stated.

    4. The report also noted that the US federal government sent more than $13,000 to the Christian Council in January 2020, for a project to provide shelters to refugees at Krisan Camp in southwestern Ghana.

    5. 208,000 euros (about $245,000) of German aid money went to the Christian Council between 2014 and 2018, via an intermediary called Brot für die Welt.

    6. German as well as Italian aid also went to development projects run by or benefiting some individual Christian Council Ghana member churches including projects of Ghana’s Methodist, Evangelical Presbyterian, and Presbyterian churches who received at least $670,000 from these countries via intermediary religious NGOs between 2016 and 2020.

    7. Germany, Italy, and the US have also funded projects by or benefiting the Ghanaian Catholic Church. German Catholic intermediary NGO, Misereor, disclosed spending 2.8 million euros ($3.1 million) of German taxpayers’ money on projects by the Catholic Church’s partner organizations in Ghana between 2016 and 2020. This included $127,000 that was spent on a project with a broad goal of strengthening strategy and management standards for the churches’ development work.

    8. Despite pledges to protect the rights of sexual and gender minorities, US and European donors spent at least $5.1 million of taxpayers’ money on projects run by or benefiting Ghanaian religious organizations whose leaders have campaigned against LGBTQI+ rights.

    9. Aid benefiting Ghana’s Catholic Church also included $850,000 from the US. Between 2019 and 2020 this money went to Ghanaian and US contractors for a project whose goal was to transition several dioceses of the Church to solar power.

    Ghana and the LGBTQ+ Bill:

    Ghana is currently working on a proposed bill – Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill proposed to introduce restrictions on LGBT+ activities in the country.

    The Bill was proposed by some 8 Members of Parliament – Sam Nartey George, Della Sowah, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Alhassan Suhuyini, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Helen Ntoso, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, John Ntim Fordjour in June 2021.

    On 2 August 2021, the bill passed its first reading in the Ghanaian Parliament, being referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for assessment.

  • Woman gives birth after acquiring insemination kit and sperm online

    24-year-old Bailey Ennis has birthed a bouncing baby boy in September 2021 with the help of a sperm donor.

    But what’s shocking about it is that she did it by purchasing an artificial insemination kit costing only £25.

    The young woman from England seems to have been “desperate to be a mum” and “didn’t have a desire to be in a relationship”. Following the artificial insemination, she became pregnant in October 2021 and welcomed her son, named Lorenzo, on 2nd July 2022.

    Woman gives birth after acquiring insemination kit and sperm online

    Bailey is currently a single parent and says that she “couldn’t be happier”.

    “Having a baby by myself is the best thing I have ever done. Being a mum is wonderful and I am so happy I decided to go it alone.

    “I’ve wanted to be a mum since I was a teenager and as a lesbian, I always knew it would need to be via artificial insemination. I didn’t have a desire to be in a relationship. I just wanted to have a baby.

    Woman gives birth after acquiring insemination kit and sperm online

    Lorenzo is amazing and looks just like me,” she expresses.

    The 24-year-old shares that she wasn’t looking for any particular features, while searching for a donor. ” I just wanted someone trustworthy and as healthy as possible,” she said.

    “I found someone who had a healthy medical record and had been a donor for two others before for two LGBTQ couples.

    Woman gives birth after acquiring insemination kit and sperm online

    “I found my donor and we WhatsApped and met up for a coffee before both agreeing he would be my donor. He has agreed to be my donor for as many children as I would like.

    “I wanted to have blood-related siblings,” she adds.

    The cost of a single artificial insemination cycle or (IUI) intrauterine insemination with a partner’s sperm is high. While legal, it can burn a hole in a person’s pocket. Although private transactions are discouraged due to safety measures, Bailey seems to have taken the risk and is now a single mum.

    Source: Joy online

  • How a lesbian movie role nearly ended my career Kumawood actress

    Twenty-eight-year-old Kumawood actress Esther Donkor, popularly known as Esi Guy Guy has expressed regrets about playing a role of a lesbian in a movie.

    It would be recalled that a video went viral in 2018 in which a lady was seen begging her colleague friend not to break up with her promising to give her whatever she desired.

    The said video was a trailer for a movie Esther Donkor was the main actor.

    Speaking in an interview monitored by MyNewsGh.com, the popular Kumawood actress revealed that the trailer almost ended her career and ruined her hard-earned reputation.

    “The lesbian video was intentionally recorded to promote a movie we were shooting but later, I realized that the video went viral and dominated trends that we expected.”

    “I was tagged as a lesbian by the majority of Ghanaians who saw the video and I was chastised on social media. Some of my friends who watched the video decided to end their friendship with me,” she lamented.

    Esi Guy Guy added: “When the video went viral, I received a lot of proposals from some lesbians on social media but I took my time to advise and counsel them to desist from that ungodly act.”

    “Though the lesbian video which went viral almost ended my career, what makes me happy is that I was able to change some lesbians and I think the purpose of the video was achieved,” she explained.

    “I have regretted shooting that video because, after the video, I realized that people were pointing fingers at me. Some family members lambasted me when they watched the video.”

    “I consulted some family members and friends for their advice before I went to shoot that video. They gave me their support to do that. I will never be a lesbian no matter the offer a lesbian will bring on the table.”

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Catholic priest denies communion to a churchgoer because she is a lesbian

    A church in Michigan denied Holy Communion to a state district court judge because she is married to a woman.

    Judge Sara Smolenski, the chief judge of Michigan’s 63rd District Court, received a call from the priest at St. Stephen Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, requesting she not attend communion.

    “This is not about me against the priest, and it’s not really me against the church,” Smolenski told CNN. “This feels like selective discrimination. Why choose gay people, and why now?”

    Smolenski, 62, said that the Rev. Scott Nolan, the priest at St. Stephen for approximately three years, called her on November 23 and told her, “‘It was good to see you in church on Sunday. Because you and Linda are married in the state of Michigan, I’d like you to respect the church and not come to communion.’”

    Smolenski was baptized at St. Stephen. She and her nine siblings attended the church’s school from first through eighth grade. Her parents were married in the church in the 1940s.

    Read:Ghanaian lesbians tie the knot in Canada

    Communion is a significant and sacred act in Catholicism. Through this sacrament, Catholics unite with Christ and symbolically form a single body, according to Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Vatican’s website. To be denied communion is essentially to be denied one’s right to the holiness of Catholicism.

    Former Vice President Joe Biden was denied communion at a church in South Carolina last month, as have other politicians, typically for their positions on divisive issues.

    Denying communion is done on a case-by-case basis. Other parishes are more accepting of gay people and would not hold back this sacrament, Smolenski said. She had already been distancing herself from the church in recent times after tensions rose when the priest denied communion to a same-sex couple during Mass earlier this year.

    “He publicly shunned the couple,” Smolenski recalled.

    It prompted her to branch out to another church for a while. But St. Stephen was Smolenski’s lifelong parish. She returned, and even received communion by Nolan on November 17. Six days later, she received the phone call from Nolan. “It definitely felt like a slam dunk,” Smolenski said.

    Read:Macron moves to extend IVF to lesbians, single women

    Priest says denying communion is ‘painful’

    Smolenski married her partner of over 30 years, Linda Burpee, in March 2016 following the Supreme Court’s marriage equality law. The marriage was publicized, not by choice, but because Smolenski is an elected official, she said. Smolenski was elected to the bench in 1990 and appointed chief judge in 1996.

    She and Linda have given financially to the church, including $7,000 in June 2017 for the renovation of St. Stephen.

    Nolan told CNN affiliate WOOD that Catholic teaching gives him no choice in the matter of giving Holy Communion. He told the station that he does not want any of his conversations about receiving communion to be public, but that denial happens with some degree of regularity.

    “Some of that criteria are just around what’s happening in that person’s life and what do they believe and what are they doing and what are they not doing,” Nolan said.

    He acknowledged that denial of Holy Communion is painful for those denied. “To me, this is also a cause of great sadness in my own life as a priest,” Nolan said.

    The Diocese of Grand Rapids issued a statement on behalf of its bishop supporting Nolan’s decision. The statement addressed Smolenski’s service and generosity to the community but included a line from Pope Francis’s “Amorus Laetitia: “Those who approach the Body and Blood of Christ may not wound that same Body by creating scandalous distinctions and divisions among its members.”

    Read:Lesbians and gays in Namibia want separate toilets

    The statement said that inclusion and acceptance are a hallmark of the diocese, but that acceptance is presumed upon “a respect on the part of individuals for the teachings and practice of the wider Catholic community.” “No community of faith can sustain the public contradiction of its beliefs by its own members,” the statement said. “This is especially so on matters as central to Catholic life as marriage, which the Church has always held, and continues to hold, as a sacred covenant between one man and one woman.

    Smolenski has read the bishop’s statement and feels the denial of her communion is leading to divisiveness in the parish. Micki Benz, a 40-year-parishioner at St. Stephen, empathizes with Smolenski. Benz recently switched churches because she finds it difficult to be part of a community where gay people are discriminated against.

    “This was a parish that was growing, that was harmonious, that was vibrant,” Benz said. “Today we are a parish of divisiveness and dissension.”

    Smolenski pointed to the larger picture, stating that even Pope Francis wants people to be loving and kind and that the Catholic church should tackle problems bigger than her sexual orientation.

    Earlier this month, while speaking to members of the International Association of Penal Law, the pope condemned speech that discriminates against people’s homosexual orientation.

    “I am who I am because God made me just like this,” she said.

    Source: cnn.com