Social media influencer and aspiring lawyer, Elorm Ama Ababio, widely recognized as Ama Governor, has publicly acknowledged her queer sexuality for the first time.
Her sexual orientation played a role in her not being called to the bar last year. A petition was submitted to the General Legal Council (GLC) by an anonymous “concerned citizen” who argued that her actions were inappropriate for an aspiring lawyer.
It’s worth noting that LGBTQ individuals and activities face disapproval from a significant portion of Ghanaian society due to deep-rooted cultural beliefs.
Despite successfully passing the bar exams, it appears that the petition had an impact, leading to the removal of Elorm Ama Ababio’s name from the list of individuals scheduled to be called to the bar in 2022 by the General Legal Council (GLC).
Her situation sparked public outrage, with many asserting that she had been treated unfairly.
More recently, Ama Governor has been granted the opportunity to undergo the application process to be called to the bar during the October/November 2023 session.
Addressing the matter during the OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstrations held on September 23, 2023, she maintained that she had not been treated fairly by the GLC. She argued that, especially considering her strong defense and the refutation of the allegations made by the anonymous “concerned citizen,” she deserved to be called to the bar.
She emphasized that only one of the allegations made by the petitioner was accurate, and even that should not have been sufficient grounds to prevent her from pursuing a legal career.
“And the last one is the fact of my sexuality that I sleep with women. I said that is not a lie; I do sleep with women, that is a fact. But it is not grounds for me to not be called to the bar, and that is it…
“My sexuality, I am queer, I am pansexual; yes, I sleep with women, but it is not a ground upon which you can say I am not fit to be called to the bar, and that was our defence, and we won,” she told a Joy News journalist covering the demonstration.