Over 1200 people have signed their names to a statement in support of LGBT rights in Ghana and against government, media, and religious repression. These people are amongst a silent majority of Ghanaians who no longer want to stand quietly as parliament and the executive, in cahoots with news media and religious institutions, advocate for harassment, violence, and discrimination against LGBT+ Ghanaians.
Amongst the long list of signatories to the Silent Majority, Ghana statement over 70% are Ghanaians, half of whom live in Ghana. These Ghanaians refuse to maintain the false narrative that Ghana is a homophobic society and are speaking out to show our support for freedom from harm and the right to safety of all Ghanaians regardless of gender or sexuality.
Likewise, we have received powerful statements of solidarity from the Young Feminists Collective in Ghana, the Decolonizing Sexualities Network, a transnational feminist organizations, and well-known cultural figures including co-founder of UK Black Pride Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, actor Idris Elba, and model Naomi Campbell. These statements, which unequivocally state support for queer people to live free from harm, discrimination, and oppression, are a testament to the broad network of people who reject state, media, and religious homophobia and patriarchy. You can read statements at our website, www.silentmajorityghana.com.
At the same time that regular citizens and collectives are speaking out, Ghana’s president has doubled down on the state’s terrorism against queer people. Ignoring the great harm and distress that queer Ghanaians in Ghana are experiencing, President Nana Addo Akuffo-Addo added fire to the flames by turning the conversation to whether or not Ghana should legalize same-sex marriage. Such cynical attempts at distraction, whilst queer Ghanaians are fighting for our lives is illustrative of the state’s terrorism against LGBT+ citizens.
Since the beginning of our campaign on February 22, 2021, we have continued to receive support from around the world. From Austria to China, Cameroon and Canada, the world is standing in solidarity and rejecting the violent homophobia of the Ghanaian government.
You can add your name in solidarity here – www.silentmajorityghana.com/join.
Read more on the situation here
By Anima Adjepong