A recent march by over a thoand Ghanian Mlims agast “the growg activi of gays and lbians” this Wt-Ain untry
Contents:
- GAY LIFE GHANA--IN DANGER AND IN THE CLOSET
- EXPLAER: WHAT MAK GHANA’S ANTI-GAY BILL SO EXTREME?
- HOW 2 GAY MEN LIVE A COUNTRY WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS ILLEGAL
- GHANA TOPS GAY LIST AI
- GAY ACTIVISTS GHANA MAND RELEASE OF 21 PEOPLE ARRTED AT LGBTQI NFERENCE
- THE NEW ANTI-GAY BILL PROPOSED GHANA WILL DTROY LIV
GAY LIFE GHANA--IN DANGER AND IN THE CLOSET
Cam is a South ain who travels to Ghana on bs and had this to say about gay life there. “I had vised Ghana six tim ( the last five years), on bs and pleasure, and had never really explored gay life that untry, bee of my mandg bs schle.
I had, however, munited by e-mail wh a young gay Ghanaian man over the last year. On my vis to Ghana June 2003, I fally met wh my “new” young gay Ghanaian iend, who then troduced me to the “not so closeted” gay Ghanaian life. So what is gay life like Ghana?
EXPLAER: WHAT MAK GHANA’S ANTI-GAY BILL SO EXTREME?
“There are no gay clubs Ghana, as there are South Ai. Gay life is mostly private and most gay people meet at hoe parti anised by iends all around the untry. They are both straight clubs but are equented by both gays and heterosexuals.
Most of the gays that equent the night spots are not rtraed eher drs or behavur and fely seem to be out of the closet, at least whilst they are at the venu. “Gay tourists to Ghana should beware of heterosexual young men posg as gay men. They equent the and var nightspots offerg their “servic” to the unspectg tourist and then end up blackmailg the tourist, takg advantage of the illegal stat of the beg gay Ghana.
On the topic of lbian relatnships, Cam was told that they are more acceptable to the heterosexual muny than are gay relatnships between two men, but no reason was given for this. “One of the young gay men, 27 years of age, that I beme good iends wh, has been married for a jt over a month, and is ready to “father” his first child. His mother, brother and sisters, and wife know that he is gay.
HOW 2 GAY MEN LIVE A COUNTRY WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS ILLEGAL
He is que relaxed wh the whole arrangement, and has fully accepted that he is gay and not a heterosexual who is nfed sexually or a bi-sexual! My other good young gay iend is basilly the same boat. He, however, is only 22 years of age and told me that even though his mother knows that he is gay, he will probably be prsurised about five years time to marry and father a child.
He is also at peace wh his sexualy and accepts himself as a gay young man. Both the young men are however “cryg out” for a lovg gay relatnship.
So what optns are there for young gay and lbian Ghanaians who wish to anise? “Que a few gay Ghanaians are talkg about formg Lbian and Gay Associatns and have admired and held South Ain Gay activists high teem over many years. Hopefully the gays Ghana will emulate their South Ain sisters and brothers and “break open their closet doors” for good wh the next few years.
GHANA TOPS GAY LIST AI
Demonstratn Agast Gays’ and Lbians’ Alleged Growg Activy. Over a thoand protters Ghana have staged a massive monstratn amidst a heavy downpour the oil cy, Sekondi -Takoradi the Wtern regn to exprs their opposn to the growg activi of gay and lbians that part of Wt Ain untry.
The protters fied to engeer their displeasure as they went through the prcipal streets of the metropolis wieldg plards followg an alleged report that close to 60 gays and lbians om the Eastern, Ashanti and Central regns of that untry, have attend a get-together held Tanokrom and other suburbs of the cy.
GAY ACTIVISTS GHANA MAND RELEASE OF 21 PEOPLE ARRTED AT LGBTQI NFERENCE
The Lear of the monstrators, Saeed Hamid, told AiNews that the monstratn was meant to draw ernment’s attentn to the nduct of the gays and lbians the untry, particularly the Wtern Regn. Acrdg to the anti-gay and Lbians group, even though people had the right to choose var sexual orientatns and associate wh whatever group they sire, the nstutn also owns on the activi of gays and lbians.
THE NEW ANTI-GAY BILL PROPOSED GHANA WILL DTROY LIV
They are therefore llg on the ernment to clearly state what the law says about homosexualy and possibly crimalize the practice.
He was however worried that Takoradi is gradually beg a hub for gays and lbians hence their cisn to rist the ‘’ungodly act’’. The Mster advised the group not to take the law to their own hands by attackg the alleged gays and lbians their muni sce that would be a breach of the law. A recent march by over a thoand Ghanian Mlims agast “the growg activi of gays and lbians” this Wt-Ain untry, uld hamper iativ that target Men havg sex wh Men (MSM), such as HIV and Aids terventns, activists have warned.
Mac-Darlg Cobbahof the Centre for Popular Edutn and Human Rights Ghana, an anisatn that also ters for the MSM muny said, followg a march that went through prcipal streets of the Metropolis agast homosexualy, after an alleged report that close to 60 gays and lbians om eastern, Ashanti and Central regns of that untry were attendg a get-together held Tanokrom. He poted out that the growg visibily of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and tersex (LGBTI) muny many parts of Ghana and the sudn “ep tert” by the media to “dig” for lbian and gay issu uld have sparked the anti-gay march. “Gay people are more visible their muni and clubs now more than before”, he add.