Let Ghana Build Together - V. L. K. Djokoto
Nananom and People,
How does respect for individual autonomy and the extension of civil liberties to all Ghanaians impartially ruin the moral fabric of our Republic? How does the spontaneous mob violence, aroused by both clerical and conservative forces in the name of the God, and institutionalised by the rule of law, meet the virtuous aspirations of our predominant religious organisations or the judiciary? In our public outrage against instruments of oppression, accommodating unorthodox social identities often slip through the cracks.
The issue of sexual orientation is a postcolonial controversy we ought to confront as a progressive society to its logical conclusion - even if this requires opening a Pandora’s Box. The stigmatisation and condemnation of the LGBTQ community in Ghana contradicts our exceptional touch of hospitality and fidelity to one another as citizens, undermining the spirit of peaceful coexistence. The Republic, administered by a secular government, is not required to appease the religious establishment and cannot frame legislation on the basis of religious doctrine.
Through a human lens the Ghanaian society, free from primitive dogma and relying on thorough research, must devise a peaceful approach, which excludes our current laws on unnatural carnal knowledge and encourages preventive measures against repercussions deemed harmful to citizens as a result of this practice, such as health-related issues –– each adult citizen of sound mind should be free to exercise individual liberty as long as this does not alienate the rights of another citizen.
Let Ghana Build Together! The freedom of the LGBTQ community does not threaten the traditional majority heterosexual community in any way – this may be a noble leap of human liberty and not merely ethical hedonism. As a Republic, popular opinion and remnants of colonial culture may bitterly oppose LGBTQ - but this should not deprive citizens of their due liberty as Ghanaians.
Nationalism has nothing to do with sexual orientation.
Disclaimer: "The views expressed on this site are those of the contributors or columnists, and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana’s position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here."