A young man accused of being gay was allegedly physically attacked by a mob in the Mamobi community in Ghana. The accused, who is in his early thirties was subject to the attacks because of his sexual preferences in the Muslim-dominated community.
According to Kamal, one of the young lovers, he was having a private time in the late hours of Saturday 25 March 2023 with his lover but their company infuriated onlookers who attacked them.
One of the lovers escaped, but Kamal was unlucky. Kamal narrowly escaped the onslaught. This new development has forced him to go into hiding.
“I now fear for my life as my Muslim family and community will not welcome such choices,” Kamal explained from his hideout outside the borders of Ghana to ZAMI Reports.
The fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in section (1) 0f Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution says “Fundamental Human Rights shall be respected and upheld by the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary and all other organs of government and its agencies and, were applicable to them, by all natural and legal persons in Ghana, and shall be enforceable by the Courts as provided for in this Constitution.
Section (2) says “Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the individual contained in this Chapter but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest.”
But the constitution is largely silent on the rights based on sexual orientation including those who identify as gays, lesbians, bi-sexual, transgender, and queer.
Section 104 (1) (b) of the Criminal Offences Act criminalizes “unnatural carnal knowledge” which the authorities interpret as “penile penetration of anything other than a vagina.”
In Ghana, same-sex “conduct” is illegal, but some clerics and politicians have already advanced a sweeping new anti-LGBTQ bill, the Promotion of proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values bill in Parliament aiming to strictly outlaw the practice of LGBTQ+.
www.zamireports/Ghana
