Queer Ghanaians Help Fight Church Fire, Urge President John Mahama and Parliament to Fund Fire Service Instead of Anti-LGBTQ Bill Focus Queer people in Accra are urging President John Dramani Mahama and the Parliament of Ghana to stop spending time and resources on the anti-LGBTQ bill and instead invest in equipping the Ghana National Fire Service with adequate firefighting equipment and infrastructure. The call follows a fire outbreak at Jesus House Chapel International in Dansoman,along the Aliu Mahama street, Accra, where, according to Hajia Akita and Hajia Rose, fire tenders arrived without sufficient water, forcing people to resort to nearby school facilities and gutters to obtain water to help extinguish the flames. They argue that the ongoing parliamentary discussions on the anti-LGBTQ bill will not address Ghana’s pressing developmental challenges or solve urgent problems such as inadequate emergency response infrastructure needed to protect lives and property. Their intervention highlights the importance of prioritising public safety, emergency preparedness and essential services over legislation targeting LGBTQ+ people. Video credit: #KingByGone and #Zygote_Studios

Exactly. Homophobia - not homosexuality - is un-African and un-Ghanaian. In Ghana and many parts of Africa, hostility toward LGBTQ+ people is deeply shaped by colonial-era laws and ideas. As Vic Mensa @VicMensa rightly asked in response to MP Emmanuel Bedzrah’s justification of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill: why not pass laws to prevent stoning and violence instead of criminalising the vulnerable people being persecuted? You cannot claim to “protect” LGBTQ+ people by imprisoning them - or tell Ghanaians they should leave their own country because of who they are. Ghana belongs to all Ghanaians.

How can Ghana promote itself internationally as a destination to “Visit Ghana” while simultaneously pursuing legislation that could criminalise and imprison LGBTQ+ tourists and allies?

They are glorifying violence as though bullying, harassing, and physically assaulting a student over allegations about their sexual orientation is something exciting, heroic, or worthy of admiration. This is harmful, dangerous, and deeply shameful. Where are the school authorities, and what action have they taken in response? Students must not be allowed to take the law into their own hands or subject their peers to violence, humiliation, and abuse based on allegations or rumours. When parents entrust their children to a school, they expect the school authorities to provide a safe environment and protect every student in their care—regardless of what that student may be accused of. Allegations are not a licence for violence. Schools must take responsibility, investigate the incident, protect the affected student, and ensure that those responsible are held accountable through appropriate disciplinary and legal processes. @CHRAJGHANA

...community workers providing HIV prevention and care services to key populations have also been accused, threatened or intimidated because of their work. A Developing Protection Concern The reported incidents have created an atmosphere of fear in Techiman, with some affected persons reportedly limiting their movements, abandoning businesses, leaving their homes or relocating to other communities. Rightify Ghana and CYEHRG welcome the Police leadership's clarification that it has not authorised or supported Oboot's alleged activities and its direction for formal survivor statements to be taken. The organisations will continue to engage the Ghana Police Service, CHRAJ, Legal Aid Commission, Ghana AIDS Commission and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that reported cases are properly documented and investigated, survivors have access to protection and legal assistance, and further attacks and threats are prevented. No individual or group should be permitted to use claims of institutional authority to justify violence, intimidation or punishment against members of the community. ⚠️Viewer discretion advised The video is a screen recording from a TikTok livestream where Oboot holds his victims at his home and abuse them in a live broadcast. On the day this was taken, he had one lady and a man ,and whom had been assaulted. You can see that the lady's face had been disfigured as a result of the assault. These are just a few of his victims Cc: @lydiadonkor13 @CHRAJGHANA @ghanaids @amnestyghana @UNFPAGhana @ZiaChoudhury @UNinGhana @USEmbassyGhana @UKinGhana @NorwayinGhana @CanHCGhana @NLinGhana @FranceandGhana @DKinGhana @SwedeninGhana @AusHC_Ghana @EuropeInGhana @GermanAmbGhana @SwissEmbAccra @ItalyinGhana @EmbEspGhana @IrishEmbGhanaCzech @CzechEmbAccra @tv3_ghana @Joy997FM @JoyNewsOnTV @starr1035fm @ghonetv @modernghanaweb @theghanaweb