In Ghana, fightback begins against homophobic attacks

John Atta Mills image via Wikipedia

By Paul Canning

Updates are below

After initially trying 'quiet diplomacy', Ghanaian LGBT have formed an alliance with civil society supporters to oppose an increasingly vociferous anti-gay campaign in that country.

International attention has focused on the call by the Chief Minister of the Western Region for the arrest of gays but Ghanaian media has been full of attacks against gays and calls for government action against them has included highly personal attacks on President John Atta Mills. One health NGO reports being asked by the Western Region government to provide names of MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) using its services.

A Coalition Against Homophobia in Ghana (CAHG) was announced yesterday. It says:

"The Coalition has among its objectives to create a friendly rapport between the media and the LGBT community and also educate people to respect the rights of LGBT people’s privacy and human dignity, which is a vital part of fundamental human rights."

"With the help of our local and African Regional allies of Human Rights Defenders, the Coalition will continue to organize against any efforts by hateful groups, institutions, and individuals to demean, blackmail, arrest, or violently assault LGBT individuals."

CAHG says that the increasing homophobic attacks "disgraces Ghana’s image internationally" and warns that if they continue unchecked Ghana faces becoming "a pariah state like Uganda and Zimbabwe".

The Coalition's formation follows criticism that many local human rights activists and bodies were failing to speak out. According to a 22 July Toronto Star article:

"On most issues, Ghana has a fairly vocal human rights activist community. Not so in this instance."

This included the local branch of Amnesty International, whose Director Laurence Amesu would "not take a position on the 'unnatural carnal knowledge' law" and whose website has not carried a statement on the arrest call put out by Amnesty's International Office.

Wrote Abdul Musah Sidibe:

"It seems anyone who attempts to speak out against the apparent human rights violation and the seeming unconstitutional rallying cry is labelled a homosexual. And in a very homophobic society, that is enough to silent critics and continue the rage."

Amongst those failing to offer support was Richard Quason, Deputy Commissioner of the government appointed independent organisation for the safeguarding of human rights in Ghana, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). However on Monday, the newly appointed Commissioner, Lauretta Lamptey, called for the decriminalisation of homosexuality, this following her predecessor who had also publicly supported LGBT human rights.

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