Ghanaian musician Sister Derby has spoken up about the hypocrisy among many Ghanaians concerning the treatment of LGBT people in Ghana.
According to her, homophobia is not an inherent African trait but a colonial import used to divide communities.
Speaking in an interview with MX24 TV, Sister Derby highlighted the presence of queer individuals throughout African history, citing terms like “Kojo Besia” as evidence of their acceptance in traditional societies.
“If you look into African history, our forefathers lived in harmony with LGBT people. How did the word Kojo Besia exist? How did the word Oba Beema exist? Our forefathers lived in harmony with them. You could have an effeminate man who knows how to do both things. They can cut firewood at the same time; they can carry the baby on the back and help you and support you. So there was a lot of elasticity between us back then.
“It was the whites and the colonial masses who brought homophobia as another way to divide us, to put us against each other to divide, to conquer the same way they brought religion to divide us,” she said.
She also criticised the selective enforcement of child protection laws, pointing out the hypocrisy of those who condemn LGBTQ+ individuals while ignoring or even defending child marriages and other abuses.
According to her, the real threats to children come from within their own communities, such as family members who commit abuse.
“Has someone reported any case? All the cases I hear are straight men raping women or straight men raping little girls. It’s not LGBTQ people. Think about it. So what’s the urgency? There’s war in Bawku. There’s been war for the past couple of years. Nobody is talking about that. You said, ‘Oh, we are doing it to protect the children.’
“But the children are on the streets begging. Have you taken them off the streets? So what is this about protecting the children? These same old people who are fighting to pass this law to just jail queer people are the same people who are allowing chiefs to marry 12-year-olds and 11-year-olds,” she added.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, known as the anti-LGBT+ bill, was introduced in August 2021 and approved by Parliament in February 2024.
The bill awaits President Nana Akufo-Addo’s signature to become law. It proposes severe penalties for LGBT+ activities, including imprisonment for same-sex intercourse and promoting LGBT+ content.
The bill has strong support from religious and traditional leaders but faces opposition from human rights activists who argue it violates fundamental rights.
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