LGBTIQA+ in Ghana: What is the Way Forward?

“If people everywhere do not marry naturally (male and female union), by fifty years’ time, the whole world population will drastically dwindle, diminish and hence leading to abrupt usurpation and annihilation of human beings in the next one hundred and twenty (120) years”(Owusu Tabiri, 2019: https://www.sryahwapublications.com/journal-of-educational-system/volume-3-issue-1/2.php).

We salute all the religious groups in Ghana that have shown their support for the legislation of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, but will our politicians listen to all these many godly people? Is it possible, to ask all our 275 Members of Parliament as well to voice their stance publicly regarding Anti-LGBTIQA+ bill?

According to the University of Divinity (https://divinity.libguides.com/diversity/), LGBTIQA+ is “an evolving acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, asexual and many other terms (such as non-binary and pansexual) that people use to describe their experiences of their gender, sexuality, and physiological sex characteristics. Each letter can stand for multiple things. LGBTIQA+ is therefore an inclusive umbrella term which embraces a matrix of sexual preferences, orientations, and habits of the not-exclusively- heterosexual-and-monogamous majority”

Patronising or promoting the activities of LGBTIQA+ is synonymous with encouraging same-sex marriage which is abominable in the sight of God. This write-up aims at discussing the negative repercussions of LGBTIQA+ or same-sex marriage and how to prevent the practice and legalization of LGBTIQA+ in Africa, particularly, Ghana.

Through investigative and explorative research that Owusu Tabiri (2019) carried out, it was uncovered that same-sex marriage could be the surest way to check overpopulation and to annihilate mankind from the world. This implies that accepting LGBTIQA+ in Ghana is just as signing the death warrant of the present generation and automatic usurpation of humanity. It is an undeniable fact that, one surpassing benefit which is primus inter pares in marriage is continuous procreation and fruitfulness and for that reason, as LGBTQ+ does not ensure or promote continuous procreation; it would be expedient to kick it out from Ghana.

Again, former President Gordon B. Hinckley remarked that kicking against legalization of LGBTQ+ or same-sex marriage is not about the question of bigotry but rather for the sake of posterity and assurance of sound and civilized trans-generational existence of humankind. (The Mormon Proposition, 2009).

All the following three powerful and instructive sayings of President Robert Mugabe on LGBTIQA+ or same-sex marriage are crucial:

1. “Let Europe keep their homosexual nonsense there and live with it. We will never have it here”
2. “I have just concluded, since President Obama endorses the same-sex marriage, advocates homosexual people and enjoys an attractive countenance – thus if it becomes necessary, I shall travel to Washington DC, get down on my knee and ask his hand,” (Next Rex 2015).
3. “Even Satan wasn’t gay. He approached naked Eve instead of naked Adam.”

Let us all contemplate on all these three instructive and informative sayings of the President Robert Mugabe and act circumspectly.

Biblical and Quranic abhorrence of LGBTIQA+ or same-sex marriage

"We also sent Lut: He said to his people: "Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds. (Qur'an 7:80-81).This Quranic citation vehemently speaks against LGBTIQA+ or homosexuality/ lesbianism and same-sex marriage.The Bible also says, in Leviticus 20:13, “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” The penalty for engaging in homosexuality or gay marriage is capital punishment, according to the Holy Bible or Jewish law as it is clearly elaborated in the book of Leviticus.

What is the Way Forward?

Turning down foreign assistance

It would be necessary for all African countries to stop receiving foreign aids from all those developed countries practicing LGBTIQA+ or gay marriage so as not to allow them to impose their wishes and desires particularly gay marriage on African countries as a beggar has no choice. In other words, for the anti-LGBTIQA+ to be passed swiftly and operative in Ghana, our leaders must stop depending on the developed countries for financial assistance. Can Ghana stop depending on tied loans and tied aid? Let us stop depending on all the developed countries and international organisations that accept LGBTIQA+ or same-sex marriage. Monsieur Gabriel Léon M’ba, the first President of Gabon, once said, “Le Gabon est indépendant, mais entre le Gabon et la France rien n’est changé, tout continue comme avant”, meaning, Gabon is independent, but between Gabon and France nothing has changed, everything goes on as it used to be. Is Ghana financially and economically independent? Unless Ghana stops depending on foreign assistance, the Anti-LGBTIQA+ Bill that many Ghanaians are currently calling for its swift passage will be a monumental fiasco.

Endorsing Anti-LGBTIQA+ Bill

It is highly incumbent upon all African countries to adopt a-long time or never-ending/timeless marriage law that prevents any African citizen to engage in LGBTIQA+ activities, without that, leaders who may pursue personal aggrandisement or face some financial constraints, would be wooed to introduce LGBTIQA+ activities in African continent. In short, the law to ban same-sex marriage or the activities of LGBTIQA+ activities forever and ever must be enshrined in African constitutions to prevent any eventuality (Owusu Tabiri, 2019). All our 275 Parliamentarians are entreated not to sign their own death warrant by voting against the anti- LGBTQ+ bill. It is therefore expedient to compel all the 275 Members of Parliament to voice their stance publicly regarding Anti-LGBTIQA+ bill. We pray and hope that none of these two hundred and seventy-five Parliamentarians will kick against this godly bill.

Let’s pray for Africa!

It would be highly beneficial to pray for all those in authority so that they would not be influenced negatively to make any bad decision that is disgraceful, shameful, and destructive to the present generation and posterity.

Let’s preach repentance and stop laying emphasis on material/financial prosperity.

Let all and sundry, particularly, preachers, repent and preach repentance everywhere and stop preaching financial or material prosperity, as well as giving personal and political prophecies. What about our so-called men and women of God who are fond of promoting magic in the Church that they term as “miracle money”, instead of biblical miracles? They all must repent and believe in the gospel.

It seems the clergy in Ghana might have contributed to all the deviant practices in our society, as countless preachers have been laying emphasis on material or financial prosperity instead of preaching true repentance, holiness, righteousness, heaven, and hell (eschatological messages).

Showing love

Is it possible, to identify all the promoters of LGBTIQA+ in Ghana, and show them love and care, and the need for them to repent and give their lives fully to the Lord Jesus Christ? To phase out same-sex marriage from the society, non-same-sex marriage people must embark on vigorous evangelism and discipleship by showing gay partners godly care, love, and affection instead of looking down on them. In other words, let us detest the activities of LGBTIQA+, but show love to all the deviant people who have gone contrary to the Word of God by sharing with them God’s love.

Any society that encourages and endorses LGBTIQA+ or same-sex marriage can best be described as human killers or murderers.

Let us all repent and reject LGBTIQA+ completely.

May God have mercy on us all, especially all the promoters of LGBTIQA+.

The writer is a lecturer at the Ghana Communication Technology University

Email: [email protected]