When Homosexuality Creeps Into the Society

In May this year, the Daily Graphic reported that eight thousand homosexuals had been registered by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the Western and Central regions, with majority of them infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV/AIDS.

Initially, majority of Ghanaians doubted the report that such a whopping figure could engage in the "illegal and dirty act" but the recent incessant media reports are now compelling many to believe that the phenomenon of homosexuality really exists in the country and at that magnitude.

I also remember that when the issue first hit the airwaves, many were those ministers of state, government functionaries, radio panelists sympathetic to the ruling NDC, and a few members of the academia that went all out to challenge the authenticity of the breaking news.

It is on record that a lecturer at Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Dr. Wilberforce Gyissah told Citi News that the Daily Graphic's publication has too many loopholes to be accurate, arguing that a research he conducted on the phenomenon had a different story to tell.

I have not yet forgotten the doubt registered by a former journalist of the Evening Tribune newspaper, Seth Addy in an interview with Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM when he said he could sense a political interest in the reportage and subsequently accused the writer of the publication of having a hidden agenda to make the government unpopular.

I would like to, first of all, use the opportunity to define homosexuality. A homosexual is a person who is sexually attracted to someone of the same sex. This leads to couples of the same sex having sexual relations.

A female who is attracted to another female is known as a lesbian while a man who is also sexually attracted to another man can be described as a gay, though; gay is also used to refer generally to a homosexual man and a woman.

public recognition

We have been made to understand that the issue of homosexuality started gaining public recognition in the country when the Government of Ghana had to take a bold decision to ban a proposed lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender right conference scheduled to take place in the country on September 4, 2006.

Though the action of the Government of Ghana at the time had received some condemnations from a few human rights advocates and legal experts, in the likes of Mr. Ernest Kofi Abotsi, the then Minister of Information and National Orientation, Hon. Kwamena Bartels had to maintain his swift and robust stand in kicking against the move to host the Conference in the country.

Hon Bartels had this to say: "the government does not condone any such activity which violently offends the culture, morality and heritage of the entire people of Ghana. Supporting such a Conference, or even allowing it, will encourage that tendency which the law forbids."



In my opinion, I think the action of the Kufuor-led NPP administration on the issue at the time was loud, clear and wonderful. In fact, our government needs to put in place stringent measures that can protect and preserve the useful Ghanaian culture and value system.

In my opinion, I think the action of the Kufuor-led NPP administration on the issue at the time was loud, clear and wonderful. In fact, our government needs to put in place stringent measures that can protect and preserve the useful Ghanaian culture and value system.

The mere fact that countries like; The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Argentina and Iceland, for reasons best known to them, have, at various points in time, legalized same-sex relationships and marriages should not provide any premise for Ghana to also embrace the phenomenon.

I am surprised why the Mills-Mahama-led NDC government has still not stated its official position on homosexuality, which is gradually engulfing the nation. I am tempted to believe Ras Mubarak that, "The silence and ambiguity on the matter (i.e. homosexuality) by government is meant to serve political ends" presented in his feature titled, "President Mills supports homosexuality".

I think what one Reverend Stephen Wengam of the Assemblies of God Church in Accra said in a commentary on the dangers of homosexuality to our national development that, "What is evil is evil and cannot change with time.

Such is homosexuality" is enough to back the argument that homosexuality must not be allowed to be part of us.

Even though I have promised myself not to veer so much into the area of religion, as far as the discussion of this issue is concerned, I would still want to remind my cherished reader that the Bible and the Quran have all vehemently condemned the act.

Listen to Rev. Stephen Wengam, as reported by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (Friday, July 4, 2011): "The Bible's position on homosexuality is clear and straight forward.

The Bible describes this condition as sin, immoral, evil and has the consequence of attracting God's wrath. God in His wisdom created man and woman differently.

He introduced marriage in the Garden of Eden between a man and a woman mandating them to procreate and fill the earth. We saw God demonstrate his displeasure at homosexuality by destroying Sodom and Gomorrah because they tolerated this kind of sin".

He further mentioned that, "The Bible in Deuteronomy 27 and 28 pronounces curses on those who practice it (i.e. homosexuality). These curses range from insanity to chaos, premature death to retrogression in life which will affect the 3rd and 4th generations of those who practice it. Also the Bible in Romans 1:27 describes homosexuality as shameful and reveals that those who practice it receive its due punishment from God.

The Bible further warns that the final destination of homosexuals is hell fire where they will suffer perpetually after life on earth".

The Achimota District Pastor of the Apostolic Church of Ghana, Pastor Samuel Sefa Agyapong is also on record to have condemned the emerging act, hinting that it would be an abomination for the nation to legalise the practice and make it part of the Ghanaian society.

Seriously speaking, I personally find it intriguing to fathom how normal human beings in our differently and with diverse backgrounds and genetic constitutions that is why some choose to behave strangely at times in society?

But what must be clear here is that once in same society, there is the need for us all to dance to the tune of laid down culture and social values.

Ghanaian culture

The rich Ghanaian culture does not give a nod to homosexuality and lesbianism. A columnist, Nuviadenu Kobla, in his web feature titled, "Ghana to endorse gay and lesbian practices?" indicated, "Even in customary practice, Ghanaian customs frown on gay and lesbian engagements or practices.

Traditionally, such people are even banished from society. No religion in Ghana, be it Christian, Islamic or Traditional condones the act. It is viewed as an abomination".

The outright disapproval of the act by the Christian Council of Ghana and Muslim groups on separate occasions just a few weeks ago should give enough courage to the Atta Mills administration to come out clear on the matter.

I am not, by this piece, saying that government should give an order for those involved in the act to be arrested as declared by the Western Regional Minister, Hon Paul Evans Aidoo just about a couple of days ago.

I rather share a similar sentiment with Rev. Stephen Wengam that, "We must not condemn homosexuals but condemn the act and sin of homosexuality".

There is the need for all those that matter in the issue, including civil society groups, educational institutions, NGOs, political, religious and traditional bodies to come together and institute measures that can help salvage our country from being swallowed by gays and lesbians.

As way of fighting this unhealthy development, I would want to stand firmly behind the Rector of the St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica (Kumasi), Reverend Monsignor Raphael Owusu Peprah, who suggested to government recently to ignore human rights groups and launch a full scale 'war' against the rising practice of homosexuality and lesbianism that has rocked our country in recent times.

In fact, homosexuality is a real threat to our family systems and nationhood and the earlier we reconstruct the Constitution for it to be more explicit on the phenomenon, the better it will be for the nation.

We must not forget about the fact that Ghana is still struggling to survive in the face of increasing cases of armed robbery, rape, abortion, teenage pregnancy, disease, and many more.

Handling this emerging case of same-sex relationships and marriages like a 'baby' can, in a not-too-distant future, succeed in plunging the entire motherland into a pool of curses and annihilation.


allafrica.com (Anthony Kwaku Amoah)