CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON – Following reports that the Ghanaian Parliament passed a bill criminalizing individuals who promote, sponsor, or support LGBTQ+ activities, Dr. David J. Johns, CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a leading Black LGBTQ+/same-gender loving civil rights organization, issued the following statement:
“We condemn the recent advancement of a discriminatory bill by the Ghanaian Parliament proposing custodial sentences of up to five years for advocates promoting LGBTQ+ rights. This legislation represents a direct assault on the human rights and dignity of LGBTQ+ Ghanaians, as well as allies who dare to support or advocate for our freedoms and dignity.
“Queerness is African. Everything we know about humanity originated in Africa, including the fact that as long as there have been people, we’ve occupied beautifully diverse ways of being. Children of the diaspora should not do the work of colonial white supremacists by attacking members of our community. The goal has always been collective liberation. Understanding the importance of celebrating diversity, supporting and strengthening community, and pursuing collective liberation is not new. As the Burkinabe author and educator Sonbufu Some wrote in ‘The Spirit of Intimacy,’ before the words lesbian and gay existed, the word gatekeepers did, and gatekeepers held space between the community and our ancestors.
“It is beyond troubling that such legislation is being advanced under the guise of promoting traditional Ghanaian family values. Let us be clear: there is nothing traditional or moral about legalizing discrimination and persecution against minoritized members of our community. The aim to preserve an antiquated cultural identity at the expense of fundamental human rights is abhorrent and regressive. Condemning African people for simply being, to no fault of their own, is white supremacy manifested.
“This legislation and the harmful stereotypes that enable it fosters division to deny LGBTQ+ people their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and association. It is a blatant attempt to suppress voices advocating for equality and justice.
“Beyond this fact, the language is stripped from the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation promulgated in Florida and funded by faux evangelical, hate-filled bigots worldwide. We should all work woke.
“We get closer to freedom, preserving democracy, and ensuring equity when we recognize that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, and any attempt to criminalize advocacy for these rights is a violation of international law and principles of equality and non-discrimination. The trans, queer, and gender-expansive community in Ghana deserves the same rights, protections, and opportunities as every other citizen.
“We urge President Nana Akufo-Addo to reject this discriminatory bill and instead focus on enacting laws and policies that promote equality, tolerance, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. We urge the United States government and the United Nations to remain in solidarity against all forms of discrimination and persecution and work towards building a society where everyone can live freely and authentically, without fear of reprisal or persecution.”