Ghana gay activists mand release of 21 people arrted at LGBTQ nference | CNN

Contents:

• EXPLAER: WHAT MAK GHANA’S ANTI-GAY BILL SO EXTREME?
• GHANA TOPS GAY LIST AI
• GAY ACTIVISTS GHANA MAND RELEASE OF 21 PEOPLE ARRTED AT LGBTQI NFERENCE
• GHANAIAN GAY PARTNERS UGHT THE ACT

EXPLAER: WHAT MAK GHANA’S ANTI-GAY BILL SO EXTREME?

Tucked away a neighborhood of Accra, off Aflao Road, a group of Ghanaian gay activists e the hoe to gather secret and provi shelter to LGBTQ people need. But what one Ghanaian activist lls a “homophobe’s dream bill” has ep roots Ghana’s relig muny. Vio after vio show Ghanaians – mostly men perceived as beg gay – beg harassed and beaten on mera, sometim stripped naked by their assailants.

Jt a short drive om parliament, we meet a proment gay activist at Accra’s Black Star Square, where an arch memoratg Ghana’s pennce celebrat “Freedom and Jtice.

GHANA TOPS GAY LIST AI

Bediako, who ns the NGO Rightify Ghana, nounced the claim that homosexualy is a Wtern import or that LGBTQ activists were out to rec and nvert straight Ghanaians.

“The same people they claim to have brought homosexualy to Ai are the same people who told them to have this hate they are g agast , ” he says. This draft “Fay Valu” bill seems to be one more eratn of the homophobic iativ emanatg om their nferenc, ” he says.

GAY ACTIVISTS GHANA MAND RELEASE OF 21 PEOPLE ARRTED AT LGBTQI NFERENCE

“Those who are promotg gays and lbians are not gog to have children at all, and wh a short time nobody should be surprised that Mlims will bee a majory this untry and clare an Islamic state, ” Archbishop Philip Naameh, the print of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, told CNN. In a massive onle prayer rally March entled: “Homosexualy: a ttable s to God, ” pastors at the lns-strong Pentestal Church said was a matter of “natnal secury” to pass a law; they ntue to ph members of parliament to follow through wh their plans. Joe, the gay Ghanaian who was beaten and thrown out of his home, spent jt a few days at the safe hoe Accra before movg on.

If passed s current form, rights groups say uld spark a wch-hunt of sexual mori, advocy groups and “alli”, forcg the public to report on their are some of the ma measur, wh excerpts om the bill self:A clampdown on LGBTQ+ intyThe law would crimalise, wh up to five years prison, intifyg as a LGBTQ+ person, havg a gay relatnship or terurse. (A) person ms an offence if the person holds out as a lbian, a gay, a transgenr, a transsexual, a queer, a pansexual, an ally …. A duty to reportAnyone ma aware of gay acts who fails to report them uld also be crimalised.

GHANAIAN GAY PARTNERS UGHT THE ACT

Shone Apong, a paralegal and advote for mori Ghana, says the bill is an attack on the existence of anyone believed to be gay or queer. It was put forward by a cross-party group of MPs led by Sam Gee, an opposn MP and one of the most proment anti-gay figur parliament. Both are active Ai and other parts of the world fightg agast abortn rights and gay rights.

Human Rights Watch said tolerance and vlence agast lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people has remaed rife among Ghana’s populatn. A spokwoman for Ghana Police Service (GPS), told CNN on Saturday that the openg of the center was at variance wh the untry’s gay laws and prevalent opns on homosexual activi Ghana. In a memo issued on Febary 4, Bin threatened wi-rangg sanctns agast untri where gay rights are supprsed.

The Ghanaian ernment, however, sists that the untry’s laws are supreme, and legislatn crimalizg gay sexual activi would rema place. Ghana has been named as the Ain untry wh the most registered homosexual ‘hopefuls’ seekg expatriate partners. This is acrdg to an onle webse that is ripe wh homosexual rmatn.