The Chronicle has noted with regret a statement issued by the US Department of State warning its citizens who wish to travel to Ghana to exercise increased caution due to crime and violence against members of the LGBTQI+ community.
The statement alleged that “Ghanaian law contains prohibitions on ‘unlawful carnal knowledge’ – generally interpreted as any kind of sexual intimacy – between persons of the same sex. Punishments can include fines and/or incarceration.
Anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric and violence have increased in recent years. Members of the LGBTQI+ community have reported safety incidents that include targeted assault, rape, mob attacks and harassment due to their identity.”
Prior to the issuance of this statement, the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, had warned that her outfit would find it very difficult to market Ghana as an investment destination should Parliament go ahead to pass the LGBTQ Bill (Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Values Bill) currently before it into law. She also warned that Ghana would face severe economic sanctions should the Bill be passed into law.
Though the developing world, and African states in particular, which are opposing this LGBTQ baloney are independent and sovereign states, the Western countries which are promoting it are trying to use threats of economic sanctions to force the opposers to accept the practice.
Culture and tradition form an integral part in identifying the behaviours of billions of people on Planet Earth. Here in Africa, our ancestors did not identify themselves with the LGBTQ practice, and this has been passed on from generation to generation. Why the US and her Western allies want us to change this tradition in the twinkle of an eye is a Gordian Knot The Chronicle is struggling to untie.
Now, having realised that Ghana’s Parliament is on the verge of disobeying their lobbying and orders regarding the LGBTQ Bill, the US Embassy in particular has embarked on a mission to paint Ghana black before the international community. Like in the conventional war, their air bombardments (advice not to pass the bill) have failed to achieve the desired results and, therefore, have now decided to move in with ground troops (threat of economic sanctions).
We, however, contend that whilst the US has the right to advice their citizens who wish to travel to Ghana, they should stop telling them lies that the LGBTQ community are under attack in the country. In our humble opinion, the most powerful state on the Earth is just trying to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it.
Yes, there are already existing laws in Ghana that make it punishable for people of the same sex to engage in sexual intercourse. But the fact that these laws exist does not mean that those who fall foul of it are attacked without any judicial process.
The LGBTQ Bill (Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Values Bill) that the US is doing everything possible to stop, in our opinion, is a modified and improved version of the laws that already exist in our criminal code.
Certainly, the passage of this bill into law will not automatically lead to attacks on the LGBTQ people without any judicial process. But sadly, this is what the US propaganda machinery wants to tell the world, just to put the fear of God in our Parliamentarians just to stop the passage of the bill into law. This should, however, not be allowed to happen.
The Chronicle, therefore, calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to also issue a statement debunking what the US Department of State has put in the public domain. Our failure as a state to deny this claim would feed into their propaganda agenda that Ghana as a state is sponsoring attacks on LGBTQ practitioners. As a result, visitors and tourists who wish to come to Ghana will be apprehensive and would choose other destinations to go and spend their money.
All the Arab states are against LGBTQ practices, yet the US and her allies have not found it necessary to threaten them with economic sanctions. Why? Is it because Africa is a poor continent and, therefore, her hands can be twisted to accept what her traditions and culture kick against?
