Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed a new law about where transgender people can use the bathroom, locker rooms, and dorms in public schools. This makes Mississippi the 12th state to restrict transgender students from using facilities that match their gender identity.
Reeves didn’t like a rule that stops transgender students from using the school bathroom that matches their gender. Republican lawyers from Mississippi and a few other states are questioning the federal rules.
“It’s amazing to see that this is what America has become under Joe Biden,” Reeves wrote on social media. A few years ago, it was hard to believe that we would have to make rules to protect women’s spaces. But now we are here. We need to make a rule to keep women safe in places like bathrooms, sororities, locker rooms, dressing rooms, shower rooms, and other places.
The law says that all public schools in the state need to have bathrooms and living areas for boys and girls. They also need to have a bathroom and living area that anyone can use, no matter their gender.
The new law says that people can only use spaces that match the sex they were born as, even if they look different or have had surgeries to change their gender. Anyone who breaks the rules might get sued, but schools, colleges and universities will not be held responsible.
It says that people are male or female based on their biological characteristics at birth, regardless of how they feel or identify.
Democrats said that the new rules for bathrooms and other places could be dangerous for transgender people during a discussion in the government. They also said that Republicans should not have focused on this issue because there were other things they needed to finish first.
In 2021, Reeves passed a law to stop transgender athletes from playing on girls’ or women’s sports teams. Last year, he made a law to stop young people under 18 from getting hormone treatment or surgery to change their gender.
Lawmakers in Mississippi are thinking about some new rules in the government. They are part of a bigger effort by Republicans to make it harder for transgender people to get the medical care and use the facilities they need.
Tag: transgender
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Mississippi passes bill prohibiting transgender individuals from using restrooms
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Bobrisky to serve 6-month jail term in male prison
One of Nigeria’s well-known celebrities, Bobrisky, has been sentenced to six months in jail for “spraying” naira banknotes at a movie premiere.The judge ruled that Bobrisky, who per reports, is a trans woman, must serve his sentence in a male prison, with no option for paying a fine instead, according to local media reports. This is after Bobrisky identified as a male in court, reports say.
Throwing money in the air as a gesture of appreciation is common at Nigerian weddings and celebrations. However, it’s technically considered an offense as the banknotes can fall to the ground and be stepped on.
Rights groups highlight that LGBTQ individuals often encounter harassment and discrimination in Nigeria.
In a similar incident, cisgender, heterosexual actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin received a comparable sentence for the same offense in February.
During the trial, Bobrisky mentioned she wasn’t aware of the ban. Prosecutions for this action have been rare until now.
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Macron reacts to wife’s transgender claims
French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken out about untrue rumors that his wife was born as a man. He said the rumors are not true and were made up.
Macron talked at an event for International Women’s Day on Friday. He was upset and annoyed by people always talking about his wife, Brigitte Macron, who is 70 years old and whom he married in 2007.
He said the bad part is the fake information and made-up stories. People start to believe in what they say and bother you, even in private moments.
He said that men often attack women online, and his wife was a victim of this.
In 2021, people started talking about Ms Macron on a far-right website. Then, conspiracy theorists spread the rumors.
Two women, Amandine Roy and Natacha Rey, started the rumors. Amandine is 52 years old and says she can predict the future. Natacha is 48 and says she works as a journalist.
Both were in a long YouTube video in December 2021 where they said that Brigitte used to be a boy named Jean-Michel Trogneux when she was born in 1953.
However, this is actually the name of Brigitte’s brother. Before she got married for the first time, Ms. Macron was called Brigitte Trogneux.
The couple said that Brigitte’s first husband, André-Louis Auzière, never existed before he died in 2020 at the age of 68.
Ms Macron sued the two women for saying bad things about her. They were given small fines, but then the fines were made even smaller after they asked for it to be changed.
The people on trial said they were scared of the government and that very important people in Paris were trying to keep a big secret hidden.
At first, a judge in Lisieux, Normandy, gave both women a fine of about £1,700 each. But later, Roy’s fine was lowered to about £850 after an appeal, and Rey had £1,300 of her £1,700 fine put on hold, so she only had to pay £400.
At first, Ray and Roy were accused of invading someone’s privacy and using their image without permission. But in the end, they were sued for saying something false and damaging about someone.
Frédéric Pichon, the lawyer defending Rey, said she looked into Ms Macron’s background with good intentions and following the rules that permit people to express themselves freely.
He was very upset that his client was put in jail by the police two times during the case. He said, “I am surprised by how much the authorities are trying to quiet her down. ”
Mrs Macron was targeted with transphobic rumours by the far-right in 2022, while the President was trying to get re-elected.
Different groups like the Yellow Vests and people against Covid vaccines all made claims to criticize Mr Macron.
The video made by Rey and Roy is not on YouTube anymore.
The strange case details were brought back up recently after Ms Macron’s daughter talked about the accusations for the first time.
In an interview with Paris Match magazine, Tiphaine Auzière, who is 40 years old, said that she is worried about how society is behaving when she hears rumors on social media about her mother being a man.
Ms Auzière talked about feeling hurt when she found out at 10 years old that her mom, who was a teacher, was dating teenager Emmanuel Macron.
The future politician was only 15 years old when he started dating a woman named Brigitte Auzière. She was 40 and married with three kids. She was also a drama teacher at a high school in northern France. -
57 out of 100 Canadian adults not okay with transgenders – Research
A recent survey by Nanos Research and CTV News found that most Canadian adults feel uneasy about transgender policies in sports, hormone treatments for young people, and changes to students’ pronouns in schools.
A study was carried out in between February 28 and March 2 of this year, a study asked a group of random Canadians who are 18 years old or older about how they feel about different issues related to gender identity and inclusion. The findings show that many people are not in favor of certain policies that have become important topics in Canadian politics.
About 57 out of 100 adults said they were not okay with a transgender person playing sports or using the washroom and change rooms of their current gender identity. And 44 out of 100 said they felt the same about using the washroom and change rooms.
In late February, the Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said that places for women should only be for women, not for men who were born as men. This caused criticism from a transgender person who used to be a Conservative candidate, Hannah Hodson, who said it was very sad to see.
“He just made it seem like trans people are predators,” she told Vassy Kapelos in an interview with CTV News Channel’s Power Play.
Hormone therapy
People who answered last week’s survey were also asked about rules for children’s gender identity.
Sixty-two out of every hundred people in the survey were not happy about letting Canadians under 18 get hormone treatments to change their gender.
The Conservative federal government wants to stop children from getting treatments to change their gender. They voted on this in September.
Also, when it comes to children, 64% of people said they would feel uneasy if a student under 18 decided to change their name or pronouns at school without their parents knowing.
Last year, the government of Saskatchewan made a new rule called the Parents’ Bill of Rights. It says that parents have to agree before their child’s name or pronouns can be changed in school if the child is under 16 years old.
Shortly after the bill was introduced in August, it was challenged in court by a 2SLGBTQ+ group called UR Pride based in Regina.
The government used a special rule to make a law, and there might be a big fight about it in the highest court.
In February, Egale Canada, a national group for LGBTQ+ people, said that the law made by the government of Saskatchewan is hurting gender diverse young people and causing lasting damage.
“We are thankful that we can keep fighting against it. ”
Methodology
The information in this article came from a survey ordered by CTV News and done by Nanos Research. The survey was done by calling people on the phone and asking questions online in February. Between March 28 and March 2, 2024, a group of 1,071 Canadians who are 18 years old or older were chosen randomly for a study. The survey might be off by up to three percent, 19 times out of 20. “The numbers are based on the population, and because of rounding, the percentages may not add up to 100%. “ -
I haven’t slept since passage of LGBTQ+ bill – Ghanaian transgender
In the wake of parliament passing the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, a Ghanaian musician transgender and a longstanding advocate against the bill, Angel Maxine, has expressed profound concerns for her safety.
Maxine, along with activists, had hoped for the bill’s rejection when it first reached parliament in 2021, but their efforts have been in vain.
In an interview with DW News, Maxine expressed sadness, stating, “I felt devastated, I was heartbroken, I haven’t slept. It is painful to know that your life as a human being is being criminalised. The life you have always struggled for, the life you want to live, you haven’t lived a decent life as any other being is now criminalised,”
“I am sad because we have been working all these years for this bill not to be passed.”
Parliament approved the bill on Wednesday, February 28, the controversial bill, aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana, imposes a jail term of up to three years for those identifying as LGBTQ+ engaged in same-sex relationships and activities.
It further entails a prison sentence of up to five years for the promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities. Individuals convicted of promoting and funding LGBTQ+ related activities could face up to a decade behind bars.Ghana’s conservative society, influenced by religious and cultural beliefs, has long considered homosexuality taboo.
The new legislation enjoys widespread support among Ghanaians, evident in the unanimous backing from lawmakers on Wednesday.This support came from a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders.
The bill’s main sponsor, opposition lawmaker Sam George, urged President Akufo-Addo not to delay signing the bill into law, emphasizing its effectiveness in dealing with LGBTQ+ issues.
President Akufo-Addo’s decision to sign the bill is now under scrutiny.
Last year, he declined to sign certain human rights-related bills, citing financial implications for the state.
The anti-LGBTQ+ bill could face similar considerations.
Human rights groups, including the “Big 18” umbrella group in Ghana, have urged the president not to sign the bill.
Professor Takyiwaa Manuh, a member of the coalition, emphasized, “You cannot criminalize a person’s identity, and that’s what the bill is doing, and it’s absolutely wrong.”Global condemnation has followed, with the United States expressing deep concerns, and UNAIDS warning that the bill could obstruct access to crucial services and jeopardize Ghana’s development success.
The international community’s response is a point of concern for some Ghanaians, with worries about potential negative impacts on Ghana’s image and economy.
Local opinions on the bill remain mixed, with some applauding the legislation and others expressing reservations about potential fallout.
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LGBT+ is now LGBTQQIP2SAA or LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA
The acronym “LGBTQ+” has undergone significant transformation over the years, reflecting the evolving understanding and recognition of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
Originally coined as “LGBT,” the acronym has expanded to encompass a broader spectrum of identities.
In recent years, the acronym has continued to evolve, with the incorporation of the symbol “+” serving as a testament to the ongoing expansion and diversification of the LGBTQ+ community.
Here are some ways the acronym has transformed into:
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LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA: Which stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, Curious, Asexual, Pansexual, Gender-Nonconforming, Gender-Fluid, Non-Binary, and Androgynous.
LGBTQQIP2SAA: This term stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, pansexual, two-spirit, asexual, and ally.
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2SLGTBQIA+: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual
Here is a breakdown of the words in the acronym:
- Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to other women.
- Gay: A person, typically a man, who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to people of the same gender.
- Bisexual: A person who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to people of more than one gender.
- Transgender: A person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. Transgender individuals may undergo social, medical, or legal transitions to align their gender expression with their identity.
- Intersex: A person born with variations in sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male or female. Intersex individuals may have biological traits such as chromosomes, gonads, or genitals that differ from societal norms.
- Queer/Questioning: “Queer” is an umbrella term that encompasses diverse sexual orientations and gender identities outside of heteronormativity. “Questioning” refers to individuals who are exploring or uncertain about their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Curious: Refers to a state of questioning or exploration regarding one’s sexual orientation or gender identity. It often describes individuals who are curious about or interested in exploring non-heteronormative identities or experiences.
- Asexual: A person who experiences little to no sexual attraction to others. Asexual individuals may still experience romantic or emotional attraction.
- Pansexual: A person who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to people regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.
- Gender-Nonconforming: Refers to individuals whose gender expression does not conform to societal expectations or stereotypes associated with their assigned sex at birth. Gender-nonconforming people may present themselves in ways that challenge traditional notions of masculinity or femininity.
- Gender-Fluid: A person whose gender identity may vary over time or in different contexts. Gender-fluid individuals may feel comfortable expressing themselves across a spectrum of genders.
- Non-Binary: An umbrella term for individuals whose gender identity does not exclusively align with the binary categories of male or female. Non-binary people may identify as both, neither, or a combination of genders.
- Androgynous: Refers to a gender expression that blends elements of both masculinity and femininity. Androgynous individuals may present themselves in a way that challenges traditional gender norms and expectations.
- Two-Spirit: A term used within some Indigenous cultures in North America to describe individuals who embody both masculine and feminine qualities or characteristics, as well as spiritual qualities.
- Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to other women.
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“My heart is deeply broken” – Ghanaian Transgender on anti-LBTQ bill passage
Transgender musician, Angel Maxine, has reacted to the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the anti-LGBTQ bill.
The bill was passed by Parliament on Wednesday, February 28. Reacting to the news in an Instagram post, Angel Maxine wrote “My heart is deeply broken.”
Prior to this, Angel Maxine noted that her side would be ready to drag Parliament to court should it approve the bill.
In an Instagram post, she indicated that the current state of the bill contravenes the 1992 Constitution and infringes one’s human rights.
“Pass the bill… I’m daring you to pass your copy and paste bill; the bill they’ve been helping you edit for 2 whole years and counting. NONSENSE We will be waiting for you in court to educate you on how this hate bill is against the constitution of Ghana and human rights in general. Ofui bofrot!,” she wrote.
The anti-LGBTQ+ bill aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. It proposes strict penalties, including imprisonment, for individuals engaged in activities related to homosexuality and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Additionally, the bill seeks to prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, organizations, and events in Ghana.
Prior to its passage, there had been several amendments to the bill. After deliberation, Parliament decided that the minimum custodial sentence has been set at three years, with a maximum of five years for promoters and sympathisers.
Additionally, individuals caught directly engaging in these activities will face a minimum sentence of six months, extendable to a maximum of three years.
Ghana is among many African countries that are working to rid LGBTQ activities in the society. Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws in May, which calls for the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
Following this, the country faced sanctions from international communities. The U.S. imposed a first round of visa restrictions on Ugandan officials in response to the law in June, and the World Bank halted new lending to the country in August.
The concern now is Ghana could face similar sanctions and be blocked from receiving financial aid from countries that uphold LGBTQ rights. But Parliamentarians have noted that Ghana is poised to withstand whatever pro-LGBTQ countries throw at them.
Already, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has described the passage of bill as “profoundly disturbing.”
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Men are scared to date me; they think I’m transgender – Lady with beard cries out
Elsie, a Tanzanian woman grappling with a rare condition called hirsutism, which results in the growth of facial hair and a beard, has bravely shared her challenges.
She revealed that men often shy away from dating her, as they mistakenly perceive her to be transgender.
In an interview with Wasafi Media, Elsie noted: “I accepted myself because it’s natural. I was given by God. But there are a lot of challenges that I do face. Some people think I am transgender, but I would like to clarify that I am a woman…
“I have been blessed with one daughter and I am just okay. Many people wonder when they see me because I look different, but I am just like any other woman. Men fear me and they go around asking my friends if I am a real woman or transgender”.
Tanzania is among the many African countries against the activities of the LGBTQ community.
The Tanzanian government has warned against the dissemination of online messages and short videos promoting same-sex relationships.
It has also warned that it will take action against administrators of social media groups whose members share pro-LGBT messages.
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“Bofrot!”, Why are you concerned if I’m a man or woman? – Transgender ‘blasts’ Dafeamekpor
Transgender musician, Angel Maxine, has responded to a question posed by one of the eight Members of Parliament sponsoring the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, amidst ongoing debates over the controversial anti-LGBTQ bill.
Dafeamekpor quizzed Maxine of her gender after she claimed that she has chats and incriminating information about some gay politicians and vowed to reveal names if the anti-gay Bill is passed in Ghana.
“Are you [Angel Maxine] a woman?” the South Dayi MP asked while speaking on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem.
The question was not taken lightly by the transgender, who took to Instagram to rant and use some unprintable words on the legislator.
She also had some questions of her own. She wanted to know why Dafeamekpor was curious about her gender. Also, she wanted to know the MPs was concerned about her impact on society following her revelations.
“Rockson – Nelson Dafeamekpor, have you felt the impact? Why, are you scared? Why are you concerned if I’m a man or a woman? Like something?
The proponents are keen on having the bill passed before Parliament goes on recess for the Yuletide season. Already, Speaker Alban Bagbin has pledged to see to its approval before the end of the year.
Reacting to recent debates on the bill, with regards to the deletion of some clauses in the bill and the jail term to be imposed on one caught flouting the anti-LGBTQ bill when passed into law, which saw the South Dayi MP, Dafeamekpor, play a key role, Angel Maxine noted that her side will be ready to drag Parliament to court should it approve the bill.
In an Instagram post, she indicated that the current state of the bill contravenes the 1992 Constitution and infringes one’s human rights.
“Pass the bill… I’m daring you to pass your copy and paste bill; the bill they’ve been helping you edit for 2 whole years and counting. NONSENSE We will be waiting for you in court to educate you on how this hate bill is against the constitution of Ghana and human rights in general. Ofui bofrot!,” she wrote.
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Why are you scared? Pass anti-LGBTQ bill and see – Transgender dares Dafeamekpor
Transgender musician, Angel Maxine, has challenged one of the eight Members of Parliament sponsoring the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, to continue his pursuit of having the controversial bill passed by Parliament.
The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill introduced to Parliament in 2021 is currently in the consideration stage.
The proponents are keen on having the bill passed before Parliament goes on recess for the Yuletide season. Already, Speaker Alban Bagbin has pledged to see to its approval before the end of the year.
Reacting to recent debates on the bill, with regards to the deletion of some clauses in the bill and the jail term to be imposed on one caught flouting the anti-LGBTQ bill when passed into law, which saw the South Dayi MP, Dafeamekpor, play a key role, Angel Maxine noted that her side will be ready to drag Parliament to court should it approve the bill.
In an Instagram post, she indicated that the current state of the bill contravenes the 1992 Constitution and infringes one’s human rights.
“Rockson – Nelson Dafeamekpor, have you felt the impact? Why, are you scared? Why are you concerned if I’m a man or a woman? Like something?
“Pass the bill… I’m daring you to pass your copy and paste bill; the bill they’ve been helping you edit for 2 whole years and counting. NONSENSE We will be waiting for you in court to educate you on how this hate bill is against the constitution of Ghana and human rights in general. Ofui bofrot!,” she wrote.
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Throwback photos of transgender musician hunting ‘Gay’ MPs over anti-LGBTQ bill
Transgender musician, Angel Maxine, has been in the news over the controversy surrounding the anti-LGBTQ bill currently being considered by Parliament.
She has, among her many recent actions, released an audio recording of her conversation with a purported Member of Parliament. She is peeved that Parliament plans to pass into law the Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
Should the bill be passed, LGBTQ members and their advocates risk imprisonment, although Parliament is still contemplating 3 to 5 years.
For Angel, she was born this way, as she indicated in one of her photos while she was and identified as a man.
Her desire to be a woman became apparent during her days at the university as she pursued a music career. She took on the stage name Sexy Lagazee and performed as a woman in skimpy clothes.
In 2011, Angel gave up performing, having failed to secure an agent or record label but did not give up the name Sexy Lagazee. She decided to abandon the identity of Maxwell Okyere Opoku.
A decade later, she came out to the entire country after showing up for an interview on Okay FM. Angel noted that the aftermath was grave as she lost businesses and feared for her life.
Angel is now vocal and among the many individuals fighting for the rights of LGBTQ members in the country.
Below are before and now pictures of Angel Maxine born Maxwell Okyere Opoku.
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Transgender drops audio of ‘Gay’ MP begging not to reveal his identity
An audio disclosing a conversation between Ghanaian open transgender musician and LGBTQ+ activist, Angel Maxine, and a purported Member of Parliament has surfaced.
The genesis of the conversation is unknown, but the brief conversation sees the male voice pleading with Angel to think about something he has requested. He further went on to assure her that her safety is guaranteed, as he has done on several occasions.
“Angel, please, you think about it. I’ve defended you, protected you before. Angel, don’t do this to me,” a male voice says in an Instagram post shared by Angel Maxine.
In her post, she also warned that all legislators and religious leaders will be dragged into the mud should Parliament pass the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.
“We’re going down together, including the religious leaders,” she wrote.
Her warnings come in the wake of recent remarks by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban S.K. Bagbin, affirming that the anti-LGBTQ+ bill will indeed be approved before Parliament adjourns for the Christmas break.
In an earlier post, she cautioned the MPs seeking to criminalise LGBTQ activities to be wary and focus on helping their constituents. She also accused some politicians of heavily engaging in same-sex activities.
“President Nana Akufo-Addo, check the Jubilee House well if there are no LGBTQ+ people working there. All you these so called politicians, you drive your cars, go and park at Labone secondary school, PRESEC, UPS and your pimps will arrange the boys and bring to you. They are peoples kids, yet their parents are on social media attacking queer people. Do you think we don’t know? People you have abused, people you have molested, people who are hurt, everything is on this paper and they’re ready to talk,” she alleged.
“Pass the bill and I will show you your MPs who are LGBTQ+. You think I have not seen gay politicians? All the MPs who have been texting people to get them boys to sleep with. All of the politicians who have been begging pimps to hook them up with boys. All your chats and conversations are here (points to a pile of documents). Pass the bill and I will expose your family members and children who are queer people. All those queer celebrities, also cannot speak for themselves,” she added.
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Popular Nigerian transgender suffers kidney issues after botched surgery
Renowned Nigerian influencer Daniel Anthony Nsikan, also known as Jay Boogie, has taken to social media to candidly discuss the aftermath of a failed buttocks enlargement surgery, revealing significant health complications and financial strain.
In an Instagram Live session, Jay Boogie, a transgender, candidly shared the challenges he encountered post-surgery, which he had initially denied. He pointed fingers at the surgeon, alleging their incompetence and the surgery’s detrimental impact on both his life and career.
Additionally, he expressed that his entire life savings had been exhausted on vital medical provisions, notably diapers.
“This man has messed up my whole life, all my money is going into buying diapers. I don’t have any money to take care of my siblings,” he lamented.
He also described the challenges of getting financial assistance, stating, “I pray this doesn’t take my life…”People are no longer donating to me.”
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Ghanaian pastor furious over US LGBTQ policy in schools that reduces parent’s right
A Ghanaian pastor, Neil Acheampong, has made a compelling argument against the implementation of a new regulation that disregards parental agreement in the transitioning of pupils into various transgender groups in a viral video seen by GhanaWeb.
The founder and senior pastor of Family Life Chapel spoke at his town meeting in Maryland and called the regulation known as regulation 443 troubling.
“There is an issue that actually bothers me about it, and I want to just make that clear if there will be a review of the policy in regards to the fact that asking if my child could be able to be a transgender, and then a school teacher or somebody else in the system could help the child to make that decision without going through the parent is actually disturbing,” he said.
According to the pastor, there is a need for the policy to be reviewed as it takes away the parents role as the first line of safety and defense for their child in such an important decision-making process.
“I think that policy needs to be looked at again because if my five-year-old is crossing a street, a parental instinct will be that I will never allow the child to cross the street by herself. Because the first line of safety for a child is a parent, and I believe we need to go back to those basic things,” he stated.
He noted how the consent of parents is sought for things that he described as simple, including the administration of pain medications for children in school, and thus questioned while parents are being taken out in the case of Policy 443.
“Every little thing has parental consent except this. So I am asking myself what is going on here. I see a door being opened for predators who are gradually creeping into the school system to destroy. Your good work will be destroyed, so I ask you to go back and look at policy 443.
“I will always pray for you and trust that you do a good work. But for this one thing, please reconsider and let’s change it. Because we are building a society that ought to thrive tomorrow and not to create kids who are confused,” Pastor Acheampong said.
His statement has earned him plaudits from individuals, including parents who are anti-LGBTQ+ on social media.
Ghanaian parent in America calls out school over policy that allows children to become LGBTQ+ pic.twitter.com/OnRXy77w8w
— GraphicOnline (@Graphicgh) May 1, 2023Currently before the parliament of Ghana is a bill that seeks to legalize the activities of homosexuals in the country.
The bill, which has received wide public support, will, among other things, ascribe various punishments, including jail terms, for individuals practicing homosexuality or advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.
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Tennessee bans trans treatment, drag shows for children
The governor of Tennessee has passed regulations restricting medical care for young transgender people and outlawing drag shows in front of minors.
LGBT and civil rights organizations pledged to file a lawsuit to prevent the medical care policy from going into force on July 1.
Meanwhile, those who break the new drag legislation risk spending close to a year in jail as well as a fine of up to $2,500 (£2,100).
The regulations were passed by Governor Bill Lee when inquiries arose regarding an old photograph that purportedly showed him dressed as a woman.
When it comes into force next month, the drag law will ban performances “harmful to minors” by “go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators” in public places or venues where they could be viewed by children.
After a recent spate of like measures being suggested in Republican-run states, the statute is the first of its kind to be adopted in the US.
Republican Governor Lee has refuted claims that by signing the measure, he is acting hypocritically.
He has been questioned on a picture that was allegedly taken from a 1977 yearbook and was titled “Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in drag” and shared over the weekend on Reddit. A curly wig, a pearl necklace, and what appears to be a cheerleader’s uniform are all visible on the figure in the photo.
Image caption,Governor Bill Lee is accused of wearing women’s clothing in this 1977 yearbook photo Mr Lee was asked about the photo earlier this week during a press conference.
“What a ridiculous, ridiculous question that is,” he responded, without confirming or denying the authenticity of the image.
“Conflating something like that to sexualised entertainment in front of children, which is a very serious subject.”
His office later issued a statement: “The bill specifically protects children from obscene, sexualised entertainment, and any attempt to conflate this serious issue with light-hearted school traditions is dishonest and disrespectful to Tennessee families.”
What exactly the law will prohibit is still unclear.
One of its sponsors, state legislator Chris Todd, previously called drag shows “child abuse” no matter what they contain, according to the Tennessean newspaper.
But other Republicans say the law would not broadly affect drag shows that are legal under Tennessee’s existing laws on obscenity.
Opponents of the law, including the state legislature’s Democrats, argue that this new legislation is redundant because they say sexualised performances in front of children are already illegal under Tennessee law.
Image caption,A drag performance at Nashville Pride last year Bills to restrict drag events have been introduced in recent months in at least 14 different states, according to Pen America, a free-speech organisation.
Drag performances at libraries, which usually involve reading storybooks to children, have been the target of protests by religious organisations, parents’ groups, right-wing activists, and extremists including the Proud Boys.
Opponents say such shows aim to groom or sexualise young children. Performers and LGBT groups say the events are age-appropriate and educate children about being different.
LGBT groups say they are worried about the potential chilling effect of the law. Chris Sanders, of the Tennessee Equality Project, says drag show organisers in the state are considering cancelling or delaying performances until there is clarity around the legislation.
The law restricting medical treatment for transgender youth prohibits doctors from providing hormones or surgical treatment for minors, with a few limited exceptions. Children and teenagers under 18 who are already receiving such treatment can continue to receive it until April 2024.
Doctors who violate the law could be fined up to $25,000 (£21,000) per procedure.
House Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Republican, said children are not mature enough to make “life-altering” decisions about such operations or medication.
“These treatments and procedures have a lifetime of negative consequences that are irreversible,” he said, reports the Tennessean.
But the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal, an LGBT civil rights organisation, said they would sue to stop the legislation from being enforced.
“We are dedicated to overturning this unconstitutional law and are confident the state will find itself completely incapable of defending it in court,” the organisations said in a statement.
Enforcement of similar laws in other states, including Alabama and Arkansas, has been paused by lawsuits.
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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.
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The Bible never said dont be a transgender -1st Ghanaian Transgender to critics
Ghanaian transgender and musician, Angel Maxine in an interview with Sammy Kay on the Go online show, has stated that there is nowhere in the Bible that speaks against transgender as a sin, but rather the Bible speaks against fornication, adultery, stealing, etc,citing the ten commandments as his basis.
The model revealed that he is in the process of transitioning to fully transform to become a woman and a trans-sexual and added that his outlook now is a manifestation of what he feels inside.
When asked about his sexual organ, he revealed that he has a very attractive male sexual organ which powerfully erects.
Watch full video below:
Source:Â sammykaymedia.com
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Photos of the most beautiful transgender woman in Ghana
Martin Hughes also known as Ohematin is a transgender woman in Ghana.
She doesn’t look like a transgender until she tells you she is one. She says a lot of people are trying to ask her out or just want to have a one-night stand with her. Whatever the case, she is still a transgender woman.
Ohematin had her secondary school education at Achimota. In one of her interviews, she mentioned that she knew she was always a female at the age of 7. She has always been ridiculed by society. Her mom however, has always been supportive of her decisions.
She also said that she is a christian and that she loves God and God loves her too. Regardless of what people say or think about her, she is proud of who she is and that people should learn to accept her as she is.
Have a look at some of her beautiful photos below;
Source: operanewsapp.com