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Who Says If There Is Gay Law In Ghana, It Makes Ghana A Gay Country? Or Ghana Will Burn?

By Joseph Kyei-Boateng
Opinion Who Says If There Is Gay Law In Ghana, It Makes Ghana A Gay Country? Or Ghana Will Burn?
APR 21, 2018 LISTEN

IT'S never true that if there is gay law in Ghana it makes Ghana a gay country. It would rather demonstrate how far Ghana understands the respect for human rights.

In the UK, US, Germany, France, Australia and Norway, my current residing country, there are gay laws - legal documents protecting the rights of people who choose to practise homosexuality and that talking about homosexuality is an easy thing

But in Ghana, the subject of homosexuality is as sensitive as the name

We live in a world controlled by Rights and Principles and dominant of these is UN's 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The provisions of this principle is universal - they apply to people of all countries globally including Ghana with emphasis on Humanity (Respect for human rights).

So for the UK, Ghana's colonial masters, to pledge support for Ghana to remove anti-gay law or make gay law, is in its defining shape.

Interestingly, ALMOST every Ghanaian wants to live abroad where gay laws are existing but the same people in their home country would not want to meet the same Law or Right anywhere (A survey conducted by Pew Research Centre in April 2018 shows 75% of Ghanaians want to live in abroad).

The UK for example, is home to a number of Ghanaians but they have not repatriated themselves home because there is gay law working in the UK.

(According to the African Culture blog, 2016, almost 2,500,000 Ghanaians, born and are of Ghanaian parents are living in the UK)

As Ghanaians, we have always rejected calls by the international community to respect the rights of others who want to be either sodomites or lesbians (gays) and protect this right by law because our Ghanaian culture frowns upon it.

Ironically and interestingly, the same Ghanaian culture does not frown upon Formal Education, Democracy, Freedom of Worship (especially Christianity, Islam), Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Expression.

Where was the Ghanaian culture when all these were introduced in Ghana and which are still in full practice as the clock ticks? Were they not brought by the same international community?

Or one RIGHT is important than another RIGHT?
Again, why would Ghana accept freedom of worship, freedom of expression or freedom of speech but would reject Freedom to be gay? Are there differences at all?

To me, if as Ghanaians we claim culturally we do not subscribe to homosexuality, we could best demonstrate this stance when we have the gay law in place

So, another question arises:
If the gay law is made and no Ghanaian is practising gayness as we claim it's not our culture, will that make Ghana a gay a country? BIG NO

So, the fact that we make gay law does not mean Ghanaians should practise homosexuality

In any case, Ghana is full of religious population (about 69% Christians, 30% Muslims) and religion teaches how God respects the Power of Choice of

Man (representing human beings) in Genesis 2:15-17, explaining that God does not force humans to obey Him or worship Him. Humans have the right to choose to obey or worship God and this choice or right is respected by the Creator

So, who are we, as mere mortals, to force people who want to practise gayness to stop? We have NO such power

Still from the same religious viewpoint, even if the Lord disapproves of homosexuality, do human beings fight the Lord's fight for Him? The Lord has always fought His own battles, so the battle is always the Lord's

Even people whom we know have committed murder, robbery, etc. have the right to hire lawyers to intercede for them in law courts

Having gay law in Ghana will not make Ghana a gay country, just as it's the case everywhere including the UK. The fact that there is gay law in the UK does not mean everybody in UK is a gay or shoud practise gayness. Those who are or will be gays choose to be so and we need to respect their choice, their right and leave judgement for their Creator

JOSEPH KYEI-BOATENG, JOURNALIST & COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT BASED IN NORWAY

( [email protected] )

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