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

Contents:

• GAY ACTIVISTS GHANA MAND RELEASE OF 21 PEOPLE ARRTED AT LGBTQI NFERENCE
• EXPLAER: WHAT MAK GHANA’S ANTI-GAY BILL SO EXTREME?
• GHANA: ANTI-GAY BILL PROPOSG 10-YEAR PRISON SENTENC SPARKS OUTRAGE
• GHANA'S SECRET GAY MUNY
• GHANA GAY WHATSAPP GROUP LK

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

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. 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.

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

“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.

“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.

GHANA: ANTI-GAY BILL PROPOSG 10-YEAR PRISON SENTENC SPARKS OUTRAGE

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.

Donkor said the nference which the police had tagged an “unlawful assembly” was a paralegal trag for gay activists as discrimatn agast sexual mori remas rife Ghana. Intolerance and vlence agast lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people have ntued to thrive among Ghana’s populatn, acrdg to Human Rights Watch. Donkor told CNN that homophobia manifts var forms Ghana.

Police spokman, Dogbatse, says he is unwillg to ment on homophobia Ghana. The gay activist hop that the #ReleaseThe21 mpaign would expand the public nversatn around tolerance and rpect for gay rights Ghana.

GHANA'S SECRET GAY MUNY

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.

GHANA GAY WHATSAPP GROUP LK

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. 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. 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.