Amaarae is an American-based Ghanaian singer
American-based Ghanaian singer Amaarae has said she is committed to using her music as a platform to promote visibility and protection for queer people, especially within African communities.
In a video sighted by GhanaWeb, Amaarae, speaking in a conversation with American singer Tinashe for Rolling Stone, shared her mission as an artist and the challenges she has faced while advocating for inclusion and representation of LGBT+ people in her work.
“When I think about being African specifically and I think about queer spaces, my mission and my goal is to make people feel seen and protected, and I’ve been doing that in my music and music videos since the beginning,” she said.
I use my platform to advocate for queer kids and the underrepresented – Amaarae
Amaarae revealed that her first-ever music video was banned from television in Ghana because it featured themes representing the transgender community, but said that did not deter her from continuing to tell such stories through her art.
“The first video that I shot was banned from TV in Ghana because it represented the trans community.
“I think it’s important to tell the stories of people who need that representation, especially being African,” she added.
Her comments come a few weeks after it was announced that Parliament is set to reintroduce the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, which seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities with penalties ranging from 9 months to 5 years in prison.
The bill, previously passed in 2024 but not signed into law by former President Nana Akufo-Addo, aims to “define and protect human sexual rights while reinforcing traditional family values.”
Watch the video below:
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