What does it mean to be LGBT+ in Ghana in these hostile times?

In Ghana is er de afgelopen maanden veel onrust geweest, zoals je wellicht via sociale media hebt meegekregen. De LHBTI+ gemeenschap staat onder druk van overheid en haatgroepen. Dat is niet per definitie iets nieuws maar, zoals we overal zien, mensenrechten worden nog erger geschonden in covid-tijd. Het loopt zo hoog op dat mensenrechtenorganisaties met afschuw reageren. Ghanees-Nederlandse ondernemer, schrijver en medeoprichter van klimaatorganisatie Dr. Monk Ama van Dantzig schrijft samen met Ghaneze vrienden Jamel Buhari en Afra Foli voor Lilith over de recente ontwikkelingen rondom de LHBTI+ gemeenschap en tekent de verhalen van de mensen achter het nieuws op.

Ghana’s mainstream media ruptured in outrage recently when the LGBTQI+ community publicly opened a community centre in Accra. Prayers intensified, unfortunately not for the protection of LGBTQI+ people, but rather against the community. The community center did not have the opportunity to take root and blossom. With increasing pressure, and threats to safety, the community center crumbled, leaving behind the stories of the people who built it, and the people for whom it was built.

An important building block for the nation of Ghana is “unity in diversity”.  However recent events should make us all sit up and pay attention. What does unity in diversity mean when the human rights of specific groups in the country are being infringed upon? What does it mean to be queer in Ghana in these times of increasing hostility towards the LGBTQI+ community? What does this mean for the safety of everyday queer people living in Ghana? And how might we explain this widespread and enduring backlash in a country that brands itself to the outside world as a warm and welcoming home of return for the whole diaspora? We asked ourselves these questions in a conversation with a small group of friends who identify as part of the Ghanaian LGBTQI+ community. Ama van Dantzig, Jamel Buhari and Afra Foli decided to ring the alarm and write about the current situation in Ghana.

A violent raid
On the morning of the 24th of February Ghana’s national security forces raided the newly established community centre of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, ransacking the building and closing it down. What was supposed to be a safe space for queer people in Ghana, became the target of aggressively homophobic forces. Anti-LGBTQI+ campaigners have been preaching that homosexuality is not part of our culture and is against the laws of Ghana, referring to the laws inspired by British colonial law that banned “unnatural carnal knowledge”. Prior to the raid prominent religious leaders had been actively urging the Ghanaian government to “ban” homosexuality and to close down the community centre. 

Although this is not the first time that the LGBTQI+ community is targeted by homophobic religious leaders, politicians and media reports, this time the backlash seems to be of greater scale, as they have formed a united front in their hatred. Local Christian leaders have gone as far as to host a national prayer rally against homosexuality, seemingly supported by all mainstream mediahouses in the country. At the same time, LGBTQI+ rights organisations are forging ahead: well organised, strategic in their advocacy and partnerships, documenting the process and setting the agenda. 

“If you are gay in Ghana, you are not gay alone, you have to think about so many things around you, your safety, your family, your friends, the cycles, your workplace, it’s a never ending scare cycle.” - Abdul-wadud Mohammed

Everybody knows the LGBTQI+ community exists, and has always existed in Ghana. Despite this being common knowledge, queer communities have generally existed underground. The advocacy work of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, formally established through the opening of the community centre, was a move of queer Ghanaians into the open. Visibility is a tricky thing. While important, increased visibility has also led to homophobic attacks. Your appearance, whether you fit into the box of what society perceives as being queer, could seriously compromise your safety. If you fit the description of what people would call gay, for instance, as an effeminate man or a masculine presenting woman, you are more likely to be attacked. Queer people in Ghana have carefully navigated spaces to ensure their safety and to avoid confrontation. The bold move from the LGBTQI+ community to show that they are here, are no longer hiding and have rights that should be protected incurred a backlash. The daily lives of many queer Ghanaians were affected: “Lots of community members lost their jobs, their homes, a lot of people are facing their families now, after them being rejected and pushed out” (Abdul-wadud Mohammed). 

[Quote deleted for safety reasons, editor]

What triggered this widespread rejection and backlash might have been the presence of representatives of foreign diplomatic missions at the official opening of the community centre. Those fighting against the LGBTQI+ community framed this foreign recognition as part of a Western agenda promoting LGBTQI+ rights in Ghana, while often ignoring the presence and involvement of local Ghanaian support groups. “The in-country support is never acknowledged. Somehow Ghanaians only see the diaspora and the white people’s support, they don’t see the fellow Ghanaian support and that is so weird. Because we’ve had a lot of support from Ghanaians.. The Humanist Association of Ghana and the Feminist Coalition have consistently been strong allies. “ says Abdul-wadud Mohammed. “They don’t see that, all they see is actor Boris Codjoe, Naomi Campbell. and Lady Phyll writing a letter to the President – how dare they! They’re not even in the country! They’ve been bought, they’ve been paid by the white people already. But some of the words we use to describe our identities might be imported but the queer lives and experiences have always been here.”

Let’s stay hopeful
There are important contradictions in the dominant anti-LGBTQI narrative. The increasing presence and global recognition of the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana seems to threaten those who desperately aim to uphold the narrative of queerness as being an import from the West.  At the same time, they  base their claims on colonial ideas and rules. As much of our history remains unacknowledged, it becomes easy for those in power to rewrite history to fit their anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric. For us, this shows the importance of documentation: uncovering queerness in our history and building a legacy for those who come next. While the current outpouring of hatred makes us sad, we’re hopeful for a better, more equal future - thanks to the efforts of activists and allies who continue to advocate for the rights, and a safe space for the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana.  

To support LGBT+ Rights Ghana: https://www.gofundme.com/f/lgbt-rights-ghana-community-support-fund

Illustration: CIERA