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Tamale, Ghana – There has been a growing apprehension in Ghana following the passage of a “human sexual rights and family values” bill into law in February this year.
Though the law is yet to be validated by the president of the republic, there is huge public outcry following its unanimous passage by both minority and majority side of parliament.
Also known as the anti-gay or anti-lgbtq+ bill, there are fears hundreds of people within the LGBTQ+ community could be sent to jail if the president validates it.
Under provisions of the bill, those who partake in LGBTQ+ sexual acts could face imprisonment ranging from six months to three years.
The bill also imposes a prison sentence of three to five years for the “wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities”.
There are currently reports that several LGBTQ+ people and other persons who advocate for their rights and are afraid of being jailed are secretly leaving the country and seeking asylum in Europe and North America.
In July 2022, at the time the the anti-gay bill was still being discussed in parliament, a Kumasi based journalist Kamal Dauda had to flee the country due to threats on his life by people who had issues with his advocacy and defense of LGBTQ+ rights.
Kamal, according to checks by this reporter, is believed to be seeking asylum in one of the North American countries currently.
The latest to face a similar ordeal as Kamal is 45 year old Moses Kwame Baffoe, a resident of Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana.
Tamale is a predominantly Christian and Moslem settlement and people who are suspected to be gays, lesbians or advocate of their rights are not safe.
The father of two children recently had his home invaded and living room items vandalized while he and his family were away.
“I had gone out with my family and upon our return, we saw that there was a break in. We entered our living room and saw that our furniture had been overturned, rooms ransacked and other electronic items destroyed”, he told this reporter in an exclusive phone interview from his hide out.
Moses, who left home for fear of his life after unknown assailants broke into his home, said he discovered a note on the television stand of their room which read: “We shall be back to deal with you, gay man and promoter of homosexual rights”.
Some time in November 2023, Moses said he was attacked by a group of young men during a football match organised as part of the corporate social responsibility of his employers (name withheld) in the community the company was situated.
“I noticed some group of guys had gathered at a corner of the park as the match was going on and so I became curious and I approached the group of men. I noticed that they were confronting a ‘young couple’ who were sitting together, watching the match. The men found their closeness weird and disgusting and decided to attack them. I immediately confronted the group, seeking to protect the young boys. But to my surprise, I was attacked by the group of young men for passing a comment in defense of the boys and the LGBTQ+ people.”
What made matters worse for Moses was because he was wearing a T-shirt with the rainbow colours on it, colours that are widely believed to ‘represent’ the LGBTQ+ community.
“One of the guys who attacked me told his colleagues that the shirt I’m wearing bears the colours of the LGBTQ+ people and so he suspects I’m one of them and before I could realize everything turned to a physical fight and some of my work colleagues rescued me from the violent crowd of young men and helped me to ran away”, he recounted.
At the time of filing this report, Moses would not state his whereabouts except to say he was planning to run away from Ghana and seek asylum in a different country.
When asked whether he had reported his ordeal to the police, he said he didn’t trust the police could provide him with security and he was afraid the worst could happen to him if he stayed in the country.
From his tone over the phone, SavannahNews can state on authority Moses is as apprehensive as anyone in the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana now.
Ghana has laws protecting the human rights of all persons irrespective of gender, religion, race, status or sexual orientation. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ people and rights advocate cannot say they feel save under such laws that seek to protect them. Even the police who are supposed to enforce state laws are often helpless in situations where LGBTQ+ people are involved because there’s very little they can do in terms of protection.
By SavannahNewsOnline.Com/Philip Liebs
Homosexual acts may be a bad act in the sight of many Ghanaians but their fundamental human rights should be respected. People should not be attacking or assaulting them like some kind of animals.
Better dead than alive.
This is a very bad and immoral act in the sight of Ghanaians, we won’t accept anything related to this act. If this suspect doesn’t hide, the youth will mobilize and deal with you, we don’t need any bad spirits or bad energy hunting us
Thank you
I very well know that immediately his location is revealed he will be attacked again. He should leave the country because Ghanaians will not accept this and will kick against anyone who condones it
Astagfirullah Astagfirullah, he Moses is a disgrace to the African culture and tradition as well as to the Christian Religion. Such persons indulging in these abominable acts deserve the severest form of punishment. We forever stand on our primitive principles and rules never to accept this form of dirt and satanism to come and assassinate our morally Upright and valued culture in a form disguised as human rights just to brainwash innocent souls. If such persons are found and caught just as Moses is on the search for , these people will pay diligently for the cost of their actions even if it means their execution
This man Moses, i have since been suspecting him of being a gay. These are the kind of people we will have to wipe from our society. Moses, we will find you wherever you are hiding and deal with you mercilessly.
LGBTQ+ is never and will never be accepted in our community. We won’t tolerate such heinous acts from the western world to be Assimilated into our culture. I condemn this campaign for LGBTQ+ wholeheartedly. People involved in such activities need to stop before they are caught and dealt with.
Homesexuality will and never be accepted in Ghana. Its more than an immoral act and will meter out any kind of punishment to them to serve as a determent to any other person
Such stupid act willl not be tolerated in this country.
We are not accepting LGBTQ today and we won’t accept it tomorrow… you better run for your life.
You are a wasted sperm and a disgrace to our Northern long held family values.
They should have met you in your house to teach you a bitter lesson you will never forget.
foooooooolllllllllll
Keep hidding cos we won’t spare you when u are caught, we hate this in Ghana so u better go to where u came from
This is an evil act , we don’t want this in Ghana , we will have to kill this guy and end it all weather in Ghana or anywhere
We have to kill you for bringing that immoral act in to our country Ghana
B ETTER RUN FOR YOUR HEALTH/LIFE MOSES ONCE THEY SAID BAD ABOUT YOU THEY ARE LIKELY GOING TO HARM YOU GOING FORWARD.