US Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmersays, calls for the protection of the rights of people of same-sex orientation should not be misconstrued as an attempt to push such interests.
“We don’t want your straight children to be gay, we want your gay children to be safe and I think it is very important that any sort of threat on one group demonstrates that the rights of other people can be encroached upon,” she said.
In an interview with JoyNews’ Foreign Affairs programme, Ambassador Palmer stated that all forms of discrimination are bad, thus the need for social protection policies to safeguard the minority group.
In Ghana, intimate same-sex relationships are punishable by a three-year prison sentence.
A bill named the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values”, was proposed months after Ghana’s first LGBT community centre opened in Accra in January last year.
The bill seeks to increase jail terms to up to a decade and makes cross-dressing and public displays of same-sex affection punishable by fines or detention. It also makes the distribution of material deemed pro-LGBTby news organisations or websites illegal.
The Ambassador of the United States of America (USA), Virginia Palmer, says efforts to protect the rights of same-sex individuals should not be misinterpreted as an attempt to advance their interests.
In its 2021 annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, the US Department of State expressed concern about significant human rights issues such as “crimes involving violence or threats of violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or intersex persons; existence of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.”
Speaking on Foreign Affairs with Blessed Sogah on JoyNews channel, Friday, December 10, 2022 the foreign diplomat noted that discrimination of all kinds is bad, hence the need for social protection measures to protect the minority group.
“I also want to be really clear that we are not trying to be promoting homosexuality or anything like that. We don’t want your straight children to be gay, we want your gay children to be safe and I think it is very important that any sort of threat on one group demonstrates that rights of other people can be encroached upon and discrimination of any kind frankly, is bad,” she said.
Recounting experiences of close family relations on discrimination and repression, the ambassador noted that, “My family has experienced discrimination. I think Ghanaians and African and African- Americans have all experienced discrimination.”
“When my husband and I were courting, he’s South African, it was illegal in South Africa because the immorality act made inter-racial couples illegal. But now we’ve been married almost forty years, but people are like really? How could that ever have been illegal? And I hope that someday we will feel like that about women and children who are being discriminated against. Discrimination is harmful,” she added.
FIFA’s disciplinary committee has opened an investigation over alleged homophobic chanting from Ecuador fans during their opening World Cup match against Qatar.
The South Americans were 2-0 victors against the hosts on Sunday, where it has been reported homophobic chants were directed towards rivals Chile.
Chile had accused Ecuador of fielding an ineligible player, Byron Castillo, during qualification for the tournament, with the 27-year-old left out of Ecuador’s squad to prevent any further controversy.
Ecuador retained their spot at the World Cup but were issued a fine and handed a points deduction for their qualifying campaign for the 2026 tournament.
The are now also facing a FIFA investigation.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has opened proceedings against the Ecuadorian Football Association due to chants by Ecuadorian supporters during the Qatar v Ecuador FIFA World Cup match played on 20 November,” a statement read.
“The proceedings were opened on the basis of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”
LGBTQ+ rights have been at the forefront of the World Cup as homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.
Seven nations, including England and Germany, had planned for their captains to wear the OneLove armband during the tournament.
However, the decision from each of the countries was taken not to do so after FIFA threatened to book captains if they broke regulations and made their own statements on social issues, rather than following guidelines from the game’s governing body.
One of the proponents of the Bill Against Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders and Queer, LGBTQ+ groups, Sam Nartey George, says he does not agree with the Attorney General’s position on the Anti-Gay Bill.
Mr. George said 80 percent of the issues raised by the A-G on the Anti-gay Bill have already been considered by the Committee working on it.
He welcomed the views of the Attorney General, but added that the Committee differs from his opinion on the Bill.
He said sponsors of the Bill will insist on this to the Committee on the floor and have a debate on it.
The Ningo-Prampram MP also downplayed the possibility of the Bill being passed by Parliament before the end of 2022.
Lawyer Moses Foh-Amoaning, Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values has said that he is in full support of the General Legal Council’s decision to put on hold the call to the Bar of YouTuber Elorm Ababio, a.k.a Ama Governor.
According to him, one does not become a lawyer just because s/he has passed an examination but also because the person is of good character, as stated in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.
In a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Foh-Amoaning intimated that calling Ama Governor to the Bar means that the Council will be condoning her LGBTQ+ preferences, which she has wildly professed contrary to the laws of the country.
“In Ghana, if you take a look at Act 32, to be called a lawyer, it is not just that you have passed your exams; you must be of a said good character.
“We know that in Ghana, it is not good behaviour for persons of the same sex to have sexual intercourse and for them to marry. So, if you are engaged in such an activity, we know you are not of good character, so you can’t be called to the Ghana Bar,” he said in Twi.
Foh-Amoaning also warned that Ghana had to be careful because proponents of LGBTQ+ activities are trying very hard to indoctrinate their values in the country.
Elorm Ababio, a student who just completed the Ghana School of Law (GSL), will not be called to the Ghana Bar due to a petition filed against her by a “concerned citizen”.
The complaint, according to the letter signed by Justice Cynthia Pamela A. Addo JA, Secretary, General Legal Council (GLC), stated that Ama Governor is seen in widely circulated videos engaging in what it describes as “conduct unbecoming of an applicant to be called to the Bar”.
The Complainant, the GLC Secretary, indicated, also submitted a flash drive [pen drive] which contains selected video files and hyperlinks of Ama Governor to relevant website publications.
Ama Governor’s conduct is said to violate Regulation 21(c) of the Legal Profession (Professional and Post-call Law Course) Regulations, 2018 L.I. 2355.
The said Regulation states: “A student of the school qualifies to be called to the Bar if that student has […] (c) satisfied the Council that the student is of good character.”
The Council, Justice Cynthia Pamela A. Addo JA said had thus decided:
“1. To constitute a three-member Committee to investigate the complaint and advise Council accordingly.
“2. To suspend the decision to call you [Ama Governor] to the Bar pending the outcome of the investigation.
“I have been directed by the Chairperson of the General Legal Council to inform you of this matter and to advise you to expect to be contacted by the Committee in due course.”
“You will be given a fair hearing on the complaint before a decision is arrived at,” Justice Cynthia Pamela A. Addo JA’s letter dated November 3 concluded.
But as the lesbian couple learned more about laws on same-sex relations in the conservative Gulf country, the plans no longer sounded like a good idea. Instead, Niño de Rivera proposed at an Amsterdam stadium this summer and opted to skip the World Cup altogether.
“As a lesbian woman, it’s really hard for me to feel and think that we are going to a country where we don’t know what could happen and how we could be safe,” she said. “It was a really hard decision.”
Niño de Rivera’s concerns are shared by many LGBTQ soccer fans and their allies worldwide. Some have been mulling whether to attend the tournament, or even watch it on television.
Qatar’s laws against gay sex and treatment of LGBTQ people are flashpoints in the run-up to the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, or in any Arab or Muslim country. Qatar has said all are welcome, including LGBTQ fans, but that visitors should respect the nation’s culture, in which public displays of affection by anyone are frowned on. With his country facing criticism over a number of issues, Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, recently argued it “has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign” that no host country has ever faced.
An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, however, has described homosexuality as a “damage in the mind” in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF. Aired this week, the comments by former Qatari national team player Khalid Salman highlighted concerns about the conservative country’s treatment of gays and lesbians.
Some LGBTQ rights activists are seizing the moment to draw attention, with a heightened sense of urgency, to the conditions of LGBTQ citizens and residents in Qatar. They want to raise concerns about how these people may be treated after the tournament ends and the international spotlight fades.
Dario Minden, who is from Germany, said he’s keen on soccer but won’t watch a single minute of the tournament as a show of solidarity with LGBTQ people in Qatar. Recently, he jumped at the opportunity to lobby for change.
At a human rights congress hosted by the German soccer federation in Frankfurt, Minden told the Qatari ambassador to Germany that Qatar should abolish its penalties for homosexuality.
“I happen to be a gay football fan and I thought that this is a great opportunity to … speak in front of such a high representative, to connect the topic with a face,” Minden said in an interview.
Rasha Younes, LGBTQ rights senior researcher in the Middle East and North Africa at Human Rights Watch, said that while Qatari officials have offered some reassurances for LGBTQ fans, the possibility of stigma and discrimination remained in housing, access to health care and safely reporting potential sexual violence.
At the same time, she argued, “suggestions that Qatar should make an exception for outsiders are implicit reminders that Qatari authorities do not believe that its LGBT residents deserve basic rights or exist,” adding her organization was concerned about conditions for local LGBTQ people, including after the tournament.
Qatari law calls for a prison sentence of one to three years for whoever is “instigating” or “seducing” a male to “commit sodomy,” as well as for “inducing or seducing a male or a female in any way to commit illegal or immoral actions.”
In the run-up to the World Cup, Qatari security forces have been accused of mistreating LGBTQ people. In a statement, the Qatari government has denied those allegations: “Qatar does not tolerate discrimination against anyone, and our policies and procedures are underpinned by a commitment to human rights for all.”
Dr. Nasser Mohamed, an openly gay Qatari activist who now lives in the United States, is among those saying that international attention is disproportionately focused on visitors and not enough on LGBTQ people in Qatar. He publicly came out and has been lobbying to expand the conversation before the World Cup.
“Being in a country that has no LGBT visibility, no conversations about what it’s like to be an LGBT person, made me feel like there’s something wrong with me,” he said in an interview. With the current intense public debates, “I feel like there is a moment of urgency to…put something out there now to actually let people know that we’re not OK.”
Josie Nixon of the You Can Play Project, which advocates for LGBTQ people in sports, said the group was part of a coalition of LGBTQ rights organizations that made demands of FIFA and the Qatari organizers. These included repealing laws targeting LGBTQ people, providing “explicit safety guarantees” against harassment, arrest or detention, and working to ensure the long-term safety of LGBTQ people in the region.
“FIFA and Qatar have taken steps to make sure that LGBTQ fans are safe, but is that enough to change the way Qatar views LGBTQ citizens?” said Nixon, who lives in Colorado. “My answer is no.”
Even before the tournament kicks off, questions about what legacy it would leave behind loomed large amid intense international scrutiny over Qatar’s human rights record, including treatment of migrant workers. As the World Cup neared, Qatari officials sounded increasingly frustrated, saying their country’s achievements and progress were being overlooked and that the attacks raise questions about the motive behind them.
“Qatar believes strongly in the power of sport to bring people together and build bridges of cultural understanding,” the Qatari government said in a statement to The Associated Press in response to questions. “The World Cup can help change misconceptions, and we want fans to travel home with a better understanding of our country, culture and region. We believe this tournament … can show that people of different nationalities, religions and backgrounds in fact have more in common than they think.”
The statement added that Qatar is a country of “warm hospitality” and will continue to ensure the safety of all “regardless of background.”
FIFA’s top officials have recently urged the teams preparing for the World Cup to focus on soccer and avoid letting the game be dragged into ideological or political battles. The officials did not address or identify any specific issue in their message, which angered some human rights activists.
In soccer-crazy Argentina, Juan Pablo Morino, president of the group Gays Passionate About Soccer said he was dismayed by FIFA’s decision to organize the World Cup in Qatar.
“In the election of a host, basic parameters of coexistence should be met. It cannot be that any country is a candidate,” he said.
In Mexico, Niño de Rivera said she would be supporting her fiancée, who will attend the tournament for work, from afar. That makes her sad.
The decision to sit out the World Cup “has to do with being true to your own values and bringing a lot of money to a country where you’re not welcome because of your sexual orientation,” she said. She was scared that if they went as a couple, they might have been harassed or worse while having dinner or walking back to the hotel.
“The World Cup is normally an event that brings people together, where it doesn’t matter what part of the world you’re from… what religion you have; It doesn’t matter what community you belong to,” she said. “We all speak the same language. We all speak football.”
Before the nation’s next election in December 2024, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbinhas promised to give Ghanaians a law that forbids same-sex-related activities.
Speaking at a media engagement, Rt. Hon Bagbin emphasized that “the sexual rights and human values Bill that is being handled by the committee will definitely be passed before the next elections. That Bill will go through.”
For the umpteenth time, the Speaker has pledged to see to the passage of the bill that was presented to the House in August 2021 by eight parliamentarians led by Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George.
His previous comments sparked controversy and among those who found fault with the Speaker’s unwavering stance is Majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu.
The Majority leader argued that it is out of place for the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, to have made a predetermination concerning the bill since he technically is not a parliamentarian and thus cannot make such a commitment on behalf of Parliament.
The proponents of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021 bill are seeking to criminalise the LGBTQ community in Ghana.
Should it be passed, people who identify as LGBTQ and/or engage in the said practice could face up to five years in prison.
LGBT activists could also face up to a 10-year-jail time.
Portions of the bill proposed that “a person who, by use of media, technological platform, technological account or any other means, produces, procures, markets, broadcasts, disseminates, publishes or distributes a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, or a person uses an electronic device, the Internet service, a film, or any other device capable of electronic storage or transmission to produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate, publishes or distribute a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years.”
Following the presentation of the bill, the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee in Parliament held several public hearings after receiving over 124 memoranda from the public.
It has been over a year and Ghanaians cannot categorically state that the country’s laws explicitly ban homosexuality, although there are arguments that customs and traditions do not tolerate same-sex related activities.
One of the major issues that have arisen is the purported infringement of rights, as the bill seeks to deter citizens from sympathizing with the LGBTQ community.
A group, Concerned Citizens, has noted that the “dangerous bill” limits the democratic rights of Ghanaians.
As the country continues to deliberate on the matter, there are reports that an anti-LGBTQ bill will have financial implications for the country.
“If you criminalize it and a person is sentenced to prison, who’s going to feed the person, it affects the national purse,” Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional,Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, told JoyNews.
Also, CDD-Ghana has noted that Ghana could lose up to 6% of its annual budget funding should the Anti-LGBT bill pass.
On the matter, Mr Sam Nartey George has argued that the economic consequences that Ghana may face as a result of passing the Anti-LGBT bill will be negligible.
According to him, the country has been faring well with very few grants from international organisations; thus in the event they are withdrawn, the country is well situated to weather the storm.
The Church of Pentecost is one of the many organisations which remain opposed to a country that encourages same-sex activities, be it gay pride or gay marriages.
Stonewall is urging the global sporting community to “stand up and call out the criminalisation and persecution” of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar at the upcoming World Cup.
The leading LGBTQ+ charity has made the plea at the launch of its ninth annual ‘Rainbow Laces’ campaign.
Same-sex relationships are criminalised in Qatar and Stonewall hopes issues can be highlighted while the spotlight is on the Gulf state for the World Cup, which begins next month.
Liz Ward, director of programmes at Stonewall, said: “As we approach the 2022 Men’s World Cup, we must remember that Qatar is a country where LGBTQ+ people are persecuted simply for being themselves. Sadly, this year’s tournament is not safe for everyone, which is why it’s so important to see players and fans stand up to be counted.
“The World Cup is a vital moment for the global sporting community to stand up and call out the criminalisation and persecution of LGBTQ+ people in Qatar.”
This year’s Rainbow Laces ‘season’ runs from October 19-31 with a Rainbow Laces Day, when sports participants are urged to wear rainbow laces in their footwear to promote greater inclusion, on October 26.
Stonewall feels the campaign has led to good progress in recent years but believes much more still needs to be done.
One of the successes is highlighted in new statistics which show that the proportion of sport fans who think homophobic remarks in sport are acceptable has fallen from 25 per cent in 2017 to 14 per cent in 2022.
However, the research conducted by Stonewall in partnership with ICM/Walnut also suggests that fans are not confident that competitive sport is a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ sport personalities.
Just 40 per cent think it is welcoming for gay and bi men, 43 per cent think it welcoming for lesbian and bi women and just 29 per cent think it welcoming for trans sport personalities.
Ms Ward added: “Since the beginning of the Rainbow Laces campaign, we’ve seen awareness grow and grow, with more than one million laces modelled in boots across the world’s pitches and, as a result, we’ve seen attitudes fundamentally shift – the majority of Britons are now supportive of LGBTQ+ athletes.
“However, we cannot become complacent. This new research shows that the public recognise that there is more work to do to create a world where LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves both on and off the pitch.”
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.
Bailey is currently a single parent and says that she “couldn’t be happier”.
“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.
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.
“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.
His family, however, said he regularly visited Hebron to see them and to work. They described the claims about the motive as rumour.
Homosexuality is rejected within the most socially and religiously conservative parts of both Palestinian and Israeli societies. The reports suggest he had fled his home on a humanitarian permit while hoping to go to Canada.
Activist Natali Farah told Israel’s Haaretz newspaper Mr Abu Marhia was well known and liked and the whole LGBTQ community was “crying now”.
“Everyone is scared,” she added.
Palestinians also expressed revulsion at the beheading.
A presenter for Karama radio station, quoted by the Times of Israel, said the crime had “crossed every single red line in our society, whether in terms of morals, customs, or basic humanity”.
Some 90 Palestinians who identify as LGBT currently live as asylum seekers in Israel, the newspaper said, after suffering discrimination in their home communities. They have only been allowed to seek work in Israel since July.
Kenyans have received an apology from President Yoweri Museveni after reading tweets from his son Muhoozi Kainerugaba that regularly threatened to invade Uganda’s neighbouring country in East Africa.
In a series of tweets on Monday and Tuesday, Kainerugaba posted provocative messages, including proposing the unification of Kenya and Uganda.
“It wouldn’t take us, my army and me, 2 weeks to capture Nairobi,” Kainerugaba wrote, referring to Kenya’s capital.
“Union is a MUST! No honorable men can allow these artificial, colonial borders anymore. If our generation has men, then these borders must fall!.”
Presidential apology
President Museveni apologized for his son’s comments, saying it was wrong for public officers to meddle in the affairs of other nations.
“I ask our Kenyan brothers and sisters to forgive us for tweets sent by General Muhoozi, formerCommander of Land Forces here, regarding the election matters in that great country,” Museveni wrote in a statement released Wednesday on his official website.
His comments drew angry reactions from Kenyans on social media and Kainerugaba, who is widely regarded as the de facto head of the military and his father’s chosen successor, was on Tuesday removed as commander of Uganda’s land forces. It was unclear whether the change was made following his controversial tweets.
He was later promoted from lieutenant general to the rank of a full general and will remain a senior presidential adviser for special operations, a Ugandan Ministry of Defence statement announced.
Despite his apology, Museveni justified Kainerugaba’s promotion, saying his son had only erred in his comments and not in his service.
“Why, then, promote him to full General after these comments? This is because this mistake is one aspect where he has acted negatively as a public officer,” the Ugandan leader said.
“There are, however, many other positive contributions the General has made and can still make,” he added while describing Kainerugaba as “a passionate Pan-Africanist.”
An outspoken general
Kainerugaba is outspoken on social media and has frequently traded barbs with opposition figures and weighed into politics, despite his military role barring him from doing so.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni pictured in 2018. SUMY SADRUNI/AFP/Getty Images
Kainerugaba also asked his more than 600,000 Twitter followers how many cows should be offered as a bride price for Giorgia Meloni, the right-wing politician expected to be named Italy’s prime minister this month.
“I would give her 100 Nkore cows immediately! For being fearless and true!!,” he wrote.
Ugandan LGBTQ organization calls government shutdown of its operations a ‘clear witch-hunt’
Kainerugaba later said the comments were made in jest. While an aide to Francesco Lollobrigida, told reporters Kainerugaba’s offer was not a serious topic.
Ugandan analysts and opposition leaders havelong accused the 78-year-old Museveni of grooming his son to take over from him, but Museveni, who has been in power for 36 years, has repeatedly denied doing so.
A human rights organization in Ghana, Rectify Ghana, has raised concerns over a recent report that indicated that a higher number of people contracting the Monkeypox disease in the world are from theLGBTQ+ fraternity.
The report, attributed to Dr. Emmanuel Addipa-Adapoe, a member of the COVID-19 management team in the Greater Accra Region, stated that over 90% of recovered cases of monkeypox in the world, especially in Europe, the Americas, and other places, are members of the LGBTQ.
According to him, monkeypox is on the rise in the LGBTQ community, which was not so previously.
“Now, hitherto, we thought it was just transmitted to humans from animals, and man to man by direct contact through the respiratory droplets and then through contact with the body fluids of those animals or man. Now over 90% of the cases, especially in Europe, the Americas, and other places, unfortunately, members of the LGBTQ+ fraternity are the ones who are getting the infection, and therefore we have had to revise our books to include sexual transmission. Majority of those with Monkeypox right now are men having sex with men,†he stated.
But in a series of tweets shared by Rectify Ghana, it is surprising that the world now wants to blame the LGBTQ+ community for the spread of the new, deadly disease.
The group added that, should this blame game go on, it would harm everyone.
“It seems the world has not learnt anything from the AIDS and COVID-19 pandemics. Blaming LGBTQ persons for monkeypox will harm everyone. We need to address risks effectively without stigma. We must make it safe for people to report their symptoms, get tested and get care.
“If people who are infected are afraid of the stigma they could experience by coming forward, then transmission will go undetected — harming many individual bodies, as well as our collective public body,†it said in the tweets.
Ghana’s media has for years, acted unfairly toward members of the LGBTQ+ Community through their reportage and failure to call out persons as well as leaders who trample on the rights of this minority group, this is according to Professor Audrey Gadzekpo.
According to her journalists who are expected to protect minority groups and also give equal opportunity in their coverage have instead stereotyped persons perceived to be homosexuals.
Prof. Gadzekpo speaking at her Inaugural Lecture on Thursday, April 28, noted that she has been a victim of abuse, just because she was against the ‘controversial’ Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
“The media, particularly, social media have acted as accelerants of hate against certain social groups, notably in recent times, members of the LGBTQ+ Community. Journalists have betrayed their own biases against sexual minorities by stereotyping and denigrating them in their coverage. By failing to give them adequate opportunity to defend their right and generally failing to challenge those who seek to trample on their human rights,” said the Former Dean, School of Information and Communication Studies at the University of Ghana.
Speaking at the lecture monitored by GhanaWeb under the theme “Taking the Grown to Town: Reflection of a Scholar-Activist on Media in Ghana’s Democratic Journey’, Prof Gadzekpo called out ‘legacy media practitioners’ for attacks against persons who dare to speak against the abuse and infringement of the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ Community in Ghana.
She named herself as a victim of verbal abuse for speaking against the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill which she described as inhumane. The Professor is among the 18-member group that submitted a memorandum challenging the anti-gay legislation.
“It has been disappointing to see how reluctant the media have been to call out traditional leaders who threaten to ban citizens perceived as LGBTQ+ from their towns and villages. I of course have had direct experience of these injustices as a member of a group of eighteen persons who sent a memorandum to Parliament against the proposed Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Not only have we been verbally lynched on social media, but at times, the attack has been carefully orchestrated by legacy media practitioners,” she noted.
Social media giants, Twitter, have deleted a tweet by Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George after it ruled that the views contained therein were in violation of platform rules.
The deleted tweet posted on July 24 read: “I have been overwhelmed by the massive show of support even here on a ‘liberal’ platform like Twitter for our Bill on the LGBTQ+ menace.
“Homosexuality is not a HUMAN RIGHT. It is a sexual preference. Preferences are not absolute or unregulated. We shall pas this Bill through.”
That post attracted a response from a British politician, Seb Dance, who engaged in a heated exchange on the issue of same-sex relationships and the wider topic of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender, Queer, LGBTQ+.
Sam George is leading an 8-Member Private Members’ Bill which is titled: “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, Bill 2021.”
Last Saturday, the lawmaker posted a screenshot of a communication from Twitter which said a tweet of his had been reported but that the company was taking no action because “it is not subject to removal under Twitter rules.”
“Accordingly, we have not taken any action as a result of this specific report,” Twitter said.
Sam George captioned the post: “So they want us to accept their perversion but cannot accept our opinion of their perversion. Thankfully the folks at Twitter apply some common sense and logic.”
But as at Monday, July 26, GhanaWeb’s checks showed that the said tweet could not be found on Sam George’s handle. In place, Twitter posted a message which read: “This tweet is no longer available,” accompanied by a link to a page explaining their range of violation enforcement in the event of a breach of platform rules.
Currently, the 36-page anti-LGBTQ+ document is at the draft stage and will be laid before the house and subsequently expected to be referred to the appropriate committee for consideration.
Sam George spent the better part of Saturday (July 24) on social media defending the need for the bill which he insists is a necessity in preserving the moral and cultural values of Ghanaians in general.
The United Kingdom congregation of the Methodist Church has today become the largest religious denomination in the country to give its blessing for the solemnization of same-sex marriages.
This was announced by the church this past Wednesday, a report from sammykaymedia.com has stated.
This means that the church will henceforth, allow for such marriages to take place on its premises.
This followed debates on the topic at the Methodist Conference in the UK where a majority 254 votes were cast in favour of the proposal, as against the 46 who voted against it.
Speaking on the matter, and also to dispel the confusions people especially in Ghana and other parts of Africa have had after the news broke, a Methodist Church pastor whose name has not been identified, has offered some clarifications.
He explained that being autonomous conferences around the world, the decision of the UK church is not binding on them.
“What we need to understand is that all these other conferences: Ghana, Nigeria, United [Kingdom] Methodist Church, the US, every other place, are autonomous churches and are on their own. And, as much as the decision of the British Methodist church may be tied on all other Methodists, the truth is that the decision they have made is not binding on any Methodist Conference.
“The Methodist Church, Ghana, the Methodist Church, Nigeria, and the Methodist Church any other place, apart from the United Kingdom, are not bound by this decision that the British Methodist Church has made,” he explained.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has disclosed that a law will soon be passed to prevent the activities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) activities in the country.
This was in response to a petition made by a political activist to parliament to amend the laws of the country to deal with the issue of LGBTQI+.
The Speaker of Parliament who shared in the same view said the growing phenomenon should not be encouraged, neither should it be accepted by society.
He said, “I appreciate very much your concerns about activities of the LGBTQI+ groups in the country. It is indeed a phenomenon that should not be encouraged or accepted by our society due to its eventual negative impact on society.
“Urgent actions are being taken to pass a law to eventually nip the activities of these groups in the bud,†he added.
The Ghana Report in a news report said this information was contained in a letter dated June 15 by Alban Bagbin.
Michael Essien has received a lot of stick on his Instagram page after he openly declared his support for the LGBTQ community in Ghana.
He wrote: “We see you, we hear you, we support you. Our LGBTQIA plus Community in Ghana. #ghanasupportequality ????????????????”
Homosexuality is a forbidden topic in Ghana and country president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has categorically stated it will not be legalized in the country.
An exasperated fan wrote: “You just lost your one follower, good luck, byee.”
Aikins_Lucky also wrote: “Am unfollowing u right away Kojo”.
Former Black Stars midfielder Michael Essien has become the first football star in the country to openly declare support for the Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) group in Ghana.
Essien in a social media post assured the group of his support and urged to continue fighting for their rights.
“We see you, we hear you, we support you. Our LGBTIA community in Ghana,†a post on the Black Stars legend reads.
The post was however deleted after it attracted backlash from some Ghanaians on the platform.
LGBTQ+ continues for be a raging topic on Ghanaian media platforms despite the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo being emphatic on his position that under no circumstance will same-sex relationship be legalized in the country.
The President who had come under pressure from religious institutions said that homosexuality will not be legalized under his watch.
“It will not be under the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that same sex marriage will be legalized in Ghana, it will never happen in my time as president,†he stressed.
Some residents of Drobo in the Jaman South Municipality of the Bono region have expressed concern over the legalisation of homosexuality and lesbianism in the country.
Sharing their views on whether same-sex marriage should be legalised or not, the residents in unison have declared the issue as an abomination that should not be entertained.
According to them, the government should not consider that option at all as it is not good for the image of the country.
Mr. Emmanuel Gyamfi believes now is the time for the government to clamp down on gayism and lesbianism once and for all. Gyamfi disclosed that the call against the practice should be louder than before as it is against our cultural values.
“ I think we should not entertain the practice at all as it is not good for our image as a people. I think the time has come for us to clamp down on the practice with some seriousnessâ€, he urged.
Afful Stephen, a tutor in one of the Senior High Schools told Ghanaweb that it is ethically wrong for a group of persons to engage in lesbianism and gayism in the name of enjoying their rights.
Quoting the book of Leviticus to back his argument, he averred that it is an abomination for people of the same sex to engage in sexual activities. He warned that any attempt to give it legal backing in the country will incur the wrath of God and warned authorities not to entertain such thoughts at all.
Alex Kofi Donkor, director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, has said the group he leads expected an uproar over their recent opening of an office in Accra but the magnitude of the uproar was unexpected.
“We did not expect such an uproar,†Donkor told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in an interview.
“We expected some homophobic organisations would use the opportunity to exploit the situation and stoke tension against the community, but the anti-gay hateful reaction has been unprecedented,†he added.
The group hosted the infamous opening event on January 31 attended by European and Australian diplomats. The office has since been closed down reportedly on the orders of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
LGBTQ+ people claim they face widespread persecution, public opinion of their actions is highly unfavourable. Ghana’s laws bar same-sex relations and gay sex is punishable with up to three years imprisonment.
The recent anti-gay outcry has been championed by Church and Muslim groups, politicians, and anti-gay rights organisations.
Ghana has not prosecuted anyone for same-sex relations in years, human rights researchers say LGBT+ people face frequent abuse and discrimination, including blackmail and attacks.
Alex Kofi Donkor, leader a same-sex relations rights group has reacted to reports earlier this week that their offices in the capital Accra had been shut down on the orders of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In an interview with Thomson Reuters Foundation, he said the main consideration for the closure was to ensure the safety of people who sought shelter and other support services there.
Donkor said the anti-gay rhetoric was “scary†and he could not risk the safety of people at the centre, which offers paralegal services, counselling and training through workshops, even though its location had not been made public, the Reuters report said.
He dismissed local media reports that police had shut down the centre on the orders of Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, adding that he had not received any communication from authorities directing its closure.
The office was opened on January 31 in the presence of the Australian ambassador and other European diplomats.
Since the report was published widely on local media sites, neither the government nor police have confirmed or denied the said operation which was reportedly undertaken by personnel of National Security and police.
Donkor, however, stressed that his group will not give up the fight for recognition of their sexual orientation. The subject of same-sex relations continue to elicit strong sentiments across the social strata – especially from the clergy.
Amidst the raging controversy regarding the opening of an office by members of the Lesbians Gays Bisexuals Transgender Queer and Intersexed community (LGBTQI), President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered for the swift closure of same at Tesano in Accra.
Mynewsgh.com reports that a combined team of heavily armed police accompanied by armed National Security officials in mufti trooped the alleged LGBTQI premises and ordered all operations and activities to cease with immediate effect.
Additionally, all persons occupying the building were also asked to vacate the premises.
According to mynewsgh, the closure was confirmed by ardent critic of the LGBTQ community who is the Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values.
Moses Foh-Amoaning had earlier called on the government to close down the newly opened LGBT office in Tesano.
Further explaining the development, Mr Foh-Amoaning noted that his outfit, which comprises of the Christian Council and the Catholic Bishops Conference, the Muslim community as well as the traditional community would do everything in their power to fight the LGBTQI agenda in the country should President Akufo-Addo fail to heed the numerous calls to bring conclusion to the matter.
In a related development, the Kwabenya Traditional Council in the GA East Municipality of the Greater Accra Region has threatened to burn a house at Ashongman, a community within the Kwabenya District and under the Traditional Council after the premises allegedly hosted a meeting of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex community members.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Traditional Council who is also the Kwabenya Musuku Manhene, Nii Mensah Dza Nyomo 1 the said house hosted the members of the group on Wednesday, noting that it had not been the first.
He lamented the occurrence as unacceptable during a press conference addressed by the Traditional Council in Accra.
Charles Owusu has commended Adwoa Safo for comments made on the legalization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Intersex Rights (LGBTQI).
The Minister-designate for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Sarah Adwoa Sarfo during her vetting in Parliament said:
“Mr Chair, the issue of LGBT is an issue that when mentioned, it creates some controversy but what I want to say is that our laws are clear on such practice. It makes it criminal. Section 104 of the Criminal Code prohibits one from having unnatural carnal knowledge with another person. So, on the issue of its criminality, it is non-negotiable. On the issue of our cultural acceptance and norms, these practices are also frowned upon. So, for me, these are two distinct clarities on the matter and that is what I strongly stand forâ€.
Prior to this US President Joe Biden has threatened to sanction countries that are yet to legalise LGBTQI.
A memo from Joe Biden read: “When foreign governments move to restrict the rights of LGBTQI+ persons or fail to enforce legal protections in place, thereby contributing to a climate of intolerance, agencies engaged abroad shall consider appropriate responses, including using the full range of diplomatic and assistance tools and, as appropriate, financial sanctions, visa restrictions, and other actions.”
“All human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love.”
“The United States belongs at the forefront of this struggle speaking out and standing strong for our most dearly held values.â€
Charles Owusu speaking to this, sent a strong warning to Joe Biden.
“Nana Akufo-Addo; from his head to toe: we are conservative and we are against it (LGBTQ). It will not be tolerated; right from the presidency to the grassroots” Former Director of Communications for the ruling New Patriotic Party, Lawyer Yaw Adomako Baafi said.
His comments come after an LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer) office was opened in Tesano, Accra to promote their rights in Ghana. Meanwhile, the government has been called upon to closed down the office.
Adomako Baafi who was speaking on Kumasi-based Hello FM hinted that the office will soon be closed.
Dozens of protesters tried to stop Polish police from arresting a gay rights activist in Warsaw on Friday after a court ordered the campaigner held for two months preventive detention.
The activist, who was referred to officially in court as Michal Sz. but who identifies as a woman with the name Margo, is suspected of causing criminal damage to a van carrying homophobic slogans in Warsaw in June.
Margo was detained at the offices of Campaign Against Homophobia but dozens of protesters then blocked the police car, prompting a stand-off before officers cleared the way to allow it to pass.
“During the arrest of the activist, the crowd impeded the actions of the police. Interventions are being made against the most aggressive people. There will be zero tolerance for breaking the law,” Warsaw police wrote on Twitter.
The police later said they had made arrests.
Aleksandra Skrzyniarz, a spokeswoman for prosecutors, was quoted as saying by the news channel TVN24, that a court had “ordered the detention of this person for a period of two months”.
The PAP news agency quoted Margo as saying before the arrest that the preventive detention, a measure normally used to stop another crime being committed, was “repressive”.
Hanna-Gil Piatek, a leftist lawmaker, was at the scene.
“I wish serious criminals were prosecuted as diligently as activists.”
Margo belongs to a campaign group called Stop The Nonsense, which is also suspected of draping several Warsaw monuments, including a statue of Jesus Christ, with LGBT flags and anarchist symbols last week.
Prosecutors have charged three people in that case for desecrating monuments and hurting religious feelings.
The van from the Pro-Right to Life Foundation is a common sight in the centre of Warsaw, blasting homophobic slogans and plastered with posters linking homosexuality to paedophilia.
The National Chairman of Ghana Muslim Mission, Dr. Sheihk Amin Bonsu, has admonished Ghanaians to continue to resist any attempt by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) to impose on us their beliefs.
He said Ghanaians must pray for forgiveness of their sins especially sins that are against the natural order of God.
Dr. Amin Bonsu stated categorically that same-sex practices are abominable in the face of God.
He underscored the need for religious leaders to continue to pray against such practices to prevent the anger of God coming upon us.
He slammed those who argue that same-sex practices are human rights issues.
The Quran he said, speaks against same-sex practices hence religious leaders and Ghanaians in general, should resist these practices.
Dr. Amin Bonsu asked Muslims to continue to pray for Ghana and our leaders to be granted wisdom to roll out measures to deal with the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The national day of fasting and prayer he added was a good initiative by the President.
The Z O Hunter Ministerial Associates, a religious organisation has threatened to seek an injunction to prevent the upcoming Lesbians Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) conference from being held in Ghana.
The regional conference of the LGBT community is scheduled to be held in the country from 27-31 July 2020.
A statement signed by the Chairman of Z O Hunter Ministerial Associates, Apostle Dr Z O Hunter, noted that the scheduled conference is aimed at the “introduction of homosexuality†in the country and reminded the “government that the agenda is against our culture.â€
The ministry, therefore, called on other religious groups such as “The Christian Council, the Peace Council, the Charismatic Bishop Council, the Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, the Traditional Council, the National House of Chiefs, the Regional House of Chiefs, the Islamic Council, the Africa Indigenous Council†to counter the agenda of homosexuality in the country.
It further called on members and the Speaker of Parliament to speak against it.
“As a Reverend Minister and Speaker of Parliament, you will agree with us that Leviticus 18:22-23 frowns on that,†the statement said adding that if nothing is done, they will “march and protest to Parliament and Jubilee House and also go to Court and seek for an injunction on the said matter.â€
