How Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community is fighting the country’s deadly “Family Values” bill

Like every other queer community on the continent already living in fear after being targeted with draconian anti-gay laws, the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana was the latest to be hit with its own extreme bill. The Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2024 imposes prison sentences for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+ and those who advocate, organize, or fund LGBTQ+ groups.

Following the unanimous passage of the bill by the Ghanaian parliament on February 28, there has been an intensified crackdown on LGBTQ+ communities in Ghana, significantly worsened discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals, and emboldened homophobic attitudes now that there’s legal backing to the already hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people.

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The law would make it illegal to identify as LGBTQ+ or an ally.

Despite the imminent threat posed by this bill, Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community has demonstrated remarkable resilience by moving forward with courage, innovation, and a deep commitment to survival in a hostile environment. The community has developed various strategies to navigate the perilous landscape, including the creation of digital safe spaces on platforms such as X, Instagram and WhatsApp. These platforms have become essential to Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community and enable LGBTQ+ individuals to foster connections and receive support.

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Underground queer art scenes have also emerged as powerful platforms for self-expression and resistance. These artistic spaces allow LGBTQ+ individuals to explore and express their identities in ways that are both personally fulfilling and politically subversive. Often operated clandestinely, the art shows, film screenings, theatrical performances, and meeting spaces provide a critical sense of community and belonging, fostering resilience in the face of external hostility.

However, resilient and vocal community members like Rayku and Denii-Peror have courageously spoken out against the negativity affecting their communities since the bill’s passage.

“Generally, the LGBTQ existence right now in the continent across the West and East Africa belt is a little bit precarious,” says Rayku, a Ghanaian queer youth advocate. “Due to the sensationalism of the bill and how it has heightened black violence and assault on the community, people are going back into their shells and are being overly cautious with LGBTQ activity, interactions, and engagements.”

Despite the doubling down and partial crippling of LGBTQ+ rights and advocacy in the country, Rayku has been using his platform to share some of his personal experiences on TikTok. He’s been sharing updates on the legislation, how he’s experiencing it, and how it’s affecting the community.

“I’m receptive to documenting queer lived experiences, my experiences and shed a light on the ongoing human rights violations when it comes to queer people and how their lives are not being prioritized. Because we think for cultural and religious reasons, their lives don’t matter,” he added.

The bill is currently in transmission to the president, however, there have been several injunctions against the bill as activists and legal experts have argued that the bill infringes upon the rights of queer Ghanaians.

On July 17, the Supreme Court of Ghana, headed by Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, deferred decisions on two separate applications seeking to halt the transmission of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill from Parliament to the president.

The first application, filed by Dr. Amanda Odoi, sought to block the Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and the Clerk of Parliament from passing the bill onward. The second application, filed by Richard Dela Sky, asked the Supreme Court to restrain Parliament from any attempt to push the bill into law. The court is now addressing the constitutionality of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2024 and examining potential procedural breaches in its parliamentary process.

According to Rayku, the sensationalizing of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill by the media led to the crackdown and triggered abuses against the community.

“I’ve heard cases of multiple abuses against queer people currently happening in Ghana. A lot of violence and kidnapping began happening right after the bill was passed in parliament, and we’ve seen abuses increase over the past months,” he said.

Denii Peror, a popular TikToker living in Ghana, told LGBTQ Nation how challenging it is to navigate Ghana’s hostile anti-LGBTQ+ environment as a femme man.

“Being effeminate here is so hard. You’re constantly violated and treated like a subhuman just for living your truth. You’re seen as weak which makes you a target for bullies who attack you unprovoked and embarrass you in public,” he says. “ You’re constantly judged and to be honest it gets overwhelming sometimes because no matter how much you try to be strong, this hate always finds a way to creep in and trigger unpleasant thoughts of self-doubt or harm.”

Lately, Denni has also been experiencing severe cyberbullying on TikTok from fellow Ghanaians. After the bill was passed, Denni posted a video of himself singing “Talking To The Moon” by Bruno Mars. The video gained over 1.7 million views but also received almost 28 thousand hateful comments with some people threatening to physically harm him. One TikTok user wrote:,“Thank God the bill has been passed, now we wait for Akufo-Addo to sign it then we will wipe people like you away from Ghana for good.”

The hate didn’t stop there. Over the past months, multiple videos of Denii taken unbeknownst to him were posted on TikTok. One was of him in a shop holding a P.O.S. (Point Of Sale) machine and another of him walking alone in a street wearing knee-length heel boots. These videos also drew hateful comments and death threats from people; one user wrote, “ He’s lucky I wasn’t the one who saw him, I would have run him over with my car.” Another wrote, “Thank God we now know where he lives.”

Addressing the recent bill, Denii told LGBTQ Nation that he does not care about it because he doesn’t believe it will change anything for the LGBTQ community.

“What’s happening to the community now has been a usual occurrence in Ghana. The bill just emboldened these criminals who now believe they’ve been fully backed by the law. People boldly walk up to me these days in public and tell me that the bill has been passed, so if they catch me behaving like a homosexual they will beat me up.” He said.

Despite everything, Denni remains unapologetic and unfazed while fully embracing his femininity. “I love to encourage myself and tell myself that I’m living my truth. I’ve made peace with the fact that constantly dealing with negativity is the price you have to pay for being femme and queer in this country. I just try my best to stay away from trouble and avoid violent situations.”

Denni also emphasized the need for the LGBTQ+ community to stick together in times like this and to surround themselves with strong support systems.

“My advice to every femme and queer person out there is that they should not give. Femme people have always existed in our pre-colonial societies and were openly embraced. Our existence is not a crime so I don’t see a reason we should be ashamed of who we are. Ghana is our home and it will always be no matter what anyone or the parliament says,” they said.

Online activism has also brought international attention to the plight of Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community, garnering solidarity and support from global human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch. Strategic alliances with other human rights groups and non-government organizations have been crucial in amplifying the voices of queer individuals advocating for their rights within Ghana’s legal and political systems.

The resilience of Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community in the face of the bill demonstrates their strength and determination. They have created safe spaces, engaged in digital activism, and formed alliances to resist oppression and assert their right to exist. While the road ahead remains fraught with challenges, the courage and resilience of Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community offer hope for a better future.

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