A disturbing incident occurred in Kumasi-Tafo, where a young man was booed and assaulted by some youths who accused him of being gay due to his effeminate nature.
In a video that surfaced online, a group of about seven men can be seen taunting the young man as he tries to pass by. They repeatedly chant “trumu di fo” (meaning “you are gay” in Twi) and block his movement by pulling parts of his dress.
Despite the young man’s attempts to fight off the abuse, he was overpowered by the group.
A netizen who reacted to the video vouched that the victim is not gay as alleged.
The incident has sparked outrage and raised concerns about the safety and rights of individuals who may be perceived as LGBTQ+ in Ghana.
This comes at a time when Parliament has passed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the anti-LGBTQ bill after three years following its introduction.
During February 28th’s Parliamentary session Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin sought to make amendments to the bill during the second consideration stage citing human right infringement.
However, the Minority rejected his request, prompting the Speaker to push for the third consideration stage,.
Speaker Alban Bagbin put the bill to a voice vote and the ayes had it.
As it stands now, Parliament has tabled the bill to the President’s desk for President Akufo-Addo to assent to the bill to become law.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ bill aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. It proposes strict penalties, including imprisonment, for individuals engaged in activities related to homosexuality and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Additionally, the bill seeks to prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, organizations, and events in Ghana.
Prior to its passage, there had been several amendments to the bill. After deliberation, Parliament decided that the minimum custodial sentence has been set at three years, with a maximum of five years for promoters and sympathisers.
Additionally, individuals caught directly engaging in these activities will face a minimum sentence of six months, extendable to a maximum of three years.
Already, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has described the passage of bill as “profoundly disturbing.”
A portion of the UN Human Rights statement read “I call for the bill not to become law. I urge the Ghanaian Government to take steps to ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalized.”
Other pro-LGBTQ bodies have warned that many individuals will be vicitimised based on assumptions of them being gay.