Anti-gay outcry has forced Ghana’s first LGBT+ community centre to temporarily close to protect its staff and visitors three weeks after it opened, its founder said on Tuesday.
Church groups, politicians and anti-gay rights organisations have called on the government to shut down the centre, run by local charity LGBT+ Rights Ghana, and arrest and prosecute those involved.
“We did not expect such an uproar,” said Alex Kofi Donkor, director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, which hosted an opening event on Jan. 31 attended by European and Australian diplomats.
“We expected some homophobic organisations would use the opportunity to exploit the situation and stoke tension against the community, but the anti-gay hateful reaction has been unprecedented,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Shutdown Of Gay Rights Office Sparks Outrage In Ghana
The centre, which was officially opened on January 31, 2021, is described as a safe space for members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersexual, Asexual community in the country.
by Saharareporters, New York
Feb 25, 2021
Reactions have continued to trail the shutting down of the first LGBTQI+ office in Ghana weeks after it opened.
The centre, which was officially opened on January 31, 2021, is described as a safe space for members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersexual, Asexual community in the country.
Shortly after it was opened, it was gathered that religious groups, politicians, and anti-gay rights organisations called on the government to shut down the centre, and arrest and prosecute those involved.
How Reuters Reported LGBTQ+ Office Closure And Anti-Gay Uproar peacefmonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from peacefmonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Anti-Gay Uproar Forces Ghana s First LGBTQ+ Community Center to Close After Just 3 Weeks
The center has had to temporarily close its doors to protect staff and visitors.
NAIROBI, Feb 23 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) Anti-gay outcry has forced Ghana s first LGBT+ community center to temporarily close to protect its staff and visitors three weeks after it opened, its founder said on Tuesday.
Church groups, politicians, and anti-gay rights organizations have called on the government to shut down the center, run by local charity LGBT+ Rights Ghana, and arrest and prosecute those involved. We did not expect such an uproar, said Alex Kofi Donkor, director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, which hosted the center’s launch on Jan. 31 attended by European and Australian diplomats.