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1 Ghana's secret gay community 3/07 2 Ghana: Anglicans Flay Gay Bishops 7/07 3 British man in prison for gay sex in Ghana 11/07 4 The Truth About Gay Guys 1/08 14 March 2007 1 by Orla Ryan, BBC News, Accra "I was scared and I knew in our society, it was not accepted. It was best for me to keep it inside until I saw someone who was similar," he said. When a schoolmate told his mother of rumours that the 18-year-old Patrick was having sex with another boy, he admitted he was gay. "She said because of what I chose to be, I was no longer her son. Was the whole world against me? This was the biggest question in my mind. My own mother sometimes says she wishes I was dead," he said. His experience is by no means unusual in the West African country, where homosexuality is seen as an unnatural sexual act and, as such, is illegal. But as the country celebrates 50 years of independence, UK gay rights activist Peter Tatchell has called on President John Kufuor, who is visiting London this week, to speak to his country's gay community. "As Ghana celebrates 50 years of independence, it is time to repeal the anti-gay laws," Mr Tatchell said. A letter urging an end to the persecution of gays and lesbians in Ghana was handed over to President Kufuor, Mr Tatchell said. It also called on the Ghanaian government to open a dialogue with gay and lesbian groups. "Unique people" In deeply religious Ghana, homosexuality is seen as an imported foreign lifestyle choice and a moral aberration. Last year, a proposed gay and lesbian conference was banned. "Ghanaians are unique people whose culture, morality and heritage totally abhor homosexual and lesbian practices and indeed any other form of unnatural sexual acts," Information Minister Kwamena Bartels said in a statement banning the conference. Gay marriage may be legal in South Africa, but across the continent many devout and traditional Africans view homosexuality with horror. There are gay bars in Accra and some organisations do work with the gay community, raising awareness about HIV/Aids, but mostly their work is underground. Cost of intolerance For individuals such as Patrick, the personal cost of intolerance is huge. "It hurts me a lot. I love my mum so much, I think of her each day. When I try to contact her, she is rude to me. This has taken me away from her," he said. Such is the opprobrium that homosexuality attracts that even normally vociferous Ghanaian human rights organisations are subdued in their support for gay rights. "In the first place, I do not know if I want to promote homosexuality in Ghana," said Richard Quayson, deputy commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, the country's leading human rights organisation.As a human rights organisation, if someone comes forward and says their rights are violated, it is my duty to protect them. As a Ghanaian, I don't think I can openly go out and promote it in the country," he said. In the experience of 23-year-old Joseph Hilary Afful, people do make their disapproval clear, sometimes in violent ways. Pointing to scars on his forehead, he describes how he and four friends were attacked last August in an Accra suburb, Chorkor. "We have to hide ourselves if even walking in the afternoon, someone can throw stones at you," he said. Few in Ghana are willing to take the political risk of advocating tolerance, said Gabby Otchere-Darko, the editor of Ghana's Statesman paper. "Even those who control the media are not willing to be tolerant to views that are sympathetic to homosexuality. That is the biggest problem," he said. "We need to accept there are certain things there is no point in policing." Ghanaian laws prohibit unnatural carnal acts - a definition which is widely understood to include homosexuality although in practice, few have been prosecuted for homosexual acts. But in this environment, it is little surprise that some choose to keep their sexuality secret, sometimes even from their closest relatives. Rose, 26, has yet to tell her mother she is gay and does not want her family name to be published. "My mum asks me if I have boyfriends, I always lie to her and say yes," she said. For others, their identity is quite simply something which should not be hidden. "I think they should accept who we are. Nobody came to earth to learn gay life. We were born with it. It is not about having sex. It is two men in love. They should look at that side of it," said Joseph. Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra) 17 July 2007 2 by Emmanuel Akli He noted that the fact that this was not done by God meant that man could not stay with man as couple. In the case of enthronement of women as bishops as being done by the mainstream Anglican Church, Mr. Halm who is also a veteran journalists said Jesus Christ who brought about Christianity did not appoint any woman as one of his twelve disciples. He therefore wondered why some Christian leaders should now try to enthrone women as bishops as if what Christ himself did was wrong. According to him the position that Jesus took should not be misconstrued to mean that women were nothing in society adding that there were still women who were part of his ministry but not disciples. He said the Sekondi diocese of the Saint Peter and Paul, the Apostles of the Orthodox Anglican Church Ghana broke away from the mainstream Anglican Church because apart from the injustices, unfairness and dishonesty they suffered, they would have also been tagged as supporters of this abominable act of enthroning guys and lesbians as bishops in the Anglican Church. He said the faith of the Orthodox Anglican Church, which has its headquarters in the USA, is based on the ancient creeds and apostolic teachings. Earlier the public affairs committee chairman of the church in Ghana, Mr. Kofi Gyetsua Ankuma told the news men that the Anglican communion was established in 1967 as self-governing Anglican church body, a world wide fellowship of national Anglican churches committed to the old paths of "one holy catholic and apostolic faith". "The Orthodox Anglican Communion is one of the first such communions outside the See of Canterbury. The church stands on biblical faith and morality thus, ordains only Godly men to Holy Orders and affirms that marriage is a sacred bond between a man and a woman and therefore we do not subscribe to gayism and lesbianism", he said. According to Kofi Gyetsua, a presenter at one of the local radio stations, the head of the church would be arriving in the country on Monday July 23. Upon arrival he would pay a courtesy call on President Kufuor and head of Ahmmadyya mission in Ghana, Mauvi Wahab-Adam before proceeding to Sekondi to officially inaugurate the church in Ghana
7th November 2007 3 by Tony Grew Macleod met Emmanuel Adda, a 19-year-old Ghanaian, on the internet, reports The Guardian. A police spokesman said: "During his [Mr Macleod's] stay in Ghana, Adda travelled round the country with Macleod, who took the opportunity to sodomise him and took pictures as well." While Ghana is famed for its friendly and tolerant society, its predominantly conservative character means that homosexuality is still considered a moral aberration, or even a myth. The Constitution guarantees the protection of human rights regardless of "race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender", but does not mention sexuality. This omission contradicts the landmark 1994 legal case of Toonen vs Australia, in which the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled that sexual orientation should be considered a status protected from discrimination. In practice, few people in Ghana have been convicted of homosexual acts. Internet sites such as Gaydar host Ghanaian profiles, suggesting enforcement is less that strict. Homophobic violence, however, remains a real problem, and gay Ghanaians are generally forced to hide their sexuality behind closed doors. In September last year, the Ghanaian government banned an LGBT rights conference that was meant to be held in the city of Koforidua. The Information Minister, Kwamena Bartels, said the government, "shall not permit the proposed conference anywhere in Ghana... homosexuality, lesbianism and bestiality are offences under the laws of Ghana." He then reportedly encouraged the Interior Minister to investigate and punish those who had given initial permission to the organisers. Ghanaian human rights groups have been less than energetic about addressing the issue. In March gay pressure group OutRage! sent a letter to Ghanaian President John Agyekum Kufuor demanding he repeal laws criminalising homosexuality. The President was visiting London to mark 50 years of Ghana's independence from Britain.
07 January 2008 4 Source: Karen Solomon Myth: "He looks/acts gay." No matter what people may say, it's not possible to determine anyone's sexual orientation just by looking at them. There are many stereotypes about how gay men look and act, but that's all they are — stereotypes. Not all gay men like fashion, listen to dance music, or live in big cities. The stereotype of a high-pitched voice or a limp wrist is simply the stuff seen in movies. Not all gay men are petite or feminine-looking. Likewise, not all petite, feminine-looking, limp-wristed men are gay! Lots of gay men are big guys with facial hair who enjoy sports and can't tolerate show tunes. Bottom line — you should never assume anything about someone's sexual orientation because of how he looks or acts. Myth: "He turned gay!" Scientists aren't exactly sure what causes a person to be straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual, but there's a lot of evidence that it's based on biological factors that are in place before birth. We do know that whether people are straight, gay, or bisexual is usually established before puberty and before they begin having sex. And although sexual orientation probably begins to develop before birth, it may change over the course of a lifetime. But that doesn't mean a guy can "turn gay" by hanging out with gay guys, seeing another guy naked, having stereotypically "gay" interests, or for any other reason. Whatever the cause or combination of causes, sexual orientation is not something that people can decide for themselves or for others. It's a part of an individual's identity, and it must be respected. Myth: "Gay men are perverts." This is one of the most dangerous, damaging myths about gay men, and it couldn't be more false. The fact is that most pedophiles are straight. Molesting children is a terrible crime, but it has little to do with a person's sexual orientation Also, gay men do not try to "recruit" other men. If you're a guy with gay friends, they're not necessarily hitting on you anymore than your female friends are! Myth: "Gay men are only interested in sex and can't commit." Gay men may have a reputation for partying and hooking up with lots of guys, but this is also a stereotype. Many gay guys are happy to just stay home, avoid flashy clothes and clubs, and enjoy quiet activities. And while some gay guys have multiple sex partners, many others prefer long-term, monogamous relationships. (And some prefer long-term relationships that are not monogamous.) Just as with straight people, decisions about sex and relationships vary from person to person and couple to couple. Myth: "AIDS is a 'gay' disease." AIDS affects everyone. Anyone who has unprotected sex or shares IV drug equipment with someone who has the virus can get HIV, regardless of sexual orientation. In fact, the fastest growing group of people with HIV is heterosexual women. Fight Discrimination Though many people in our society — politicians, public figures, and maybe even some of your friends — will suggest that excluding, harassing, or even bashing gay guys is acceptable, it is not. Scientists have shown that attacking someone because of his perceived sexual orientation is an expression of self-doubt and insecurity about one's own masculinity or sexual orientation. Bashing is a way of trying to destroy what a person fears he recognizes in himself. Discrimination is wrong on every level, and stereotyping people because of their sexual orientation is just as wrong as stereotyping people because of the color of their skin, or their gender. So the next time you hear someone spreading a gay-guy myth, don't hold back — stand up for what's right and speak the truth! |
