SOCIAL STIGMA OVER HOMOSEXUAL PRACTICES

By: Ryan Millward

As laws over male gay relationships remain heated, Ryan Millward heads out to the streets of Cape Coast to find out what the public really think.

Laws are tight over same sex male relationships in Ghana; the government makes it clear that "Whoever is guilty of unnatural carnal knowledge— (a) of any person without his consent, is guilty of first degree felony; (b) of any person with his consent, or of any animal, is guilty of a misdemeanor." However while this social stigma is not only contradicted by female same sex acts being legal as well as many Ghanaians not believing that homosexuality even exists, it is also quite clear that many people don't know the full facts surrounding the issue.

As I interview a range of people on the streets of Cape Coast it becomes clear that the Ghanaian community only have one stance on the issue; out of the 23 people I asked, every Ghanaian said the same response - "illegal" or "banned". Reasons why were blurred; often many people said "I don't know why but it's not good." Other responses included "Men and women shouldn't have same sex counterparts, it's no good" and "It should be illegal because it's not natural." It became increasingly clear that there was no real clear thought around why it should be illegal but just like a game of Chinese whispers, people believe it should be illegal because they have been told. Perhaps the stigma and worry around the issue was evident in the fact that no one wanted to give their name for report, only their thoughts.

One man who did was Ogyatsa Mickey, a local trader around the slave castle; he told how "men with other men is not good because they can't have the babies, it's not cool you know." The first answer I got where his view had a logic behind it. But again it was contradicted with his next statement where he exclaimed that women with other women was a good thing and should be allowed. Once again it became clear that the whole issue was fuzzy and could only move forward in terms of information being spread.

Gay issues are no new thing in Ghana; in 1994 it was reported that a homosexual man from Ghana was granted temporary asylum in South Africa after persecution for his sexual orientation. According to an August 2004 Afrol News report, Prince MacDonald‚ the leader of the organisation for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals in Ghana, commented that "there are lots and lots of people in our prisons who have been caught by this unfriendly law." He said that "the police beat and punish people who are found to be gays." In 2010, The U.S Department of State's Human Rights Report found that "strong sociocultural beliefs discriminated against and stigmatized same-gender sex. There were no registered Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) organizations. LGBT persons faced widespread discrimination, as well as police harassment and extortion attempts. Gay men in prison often were subjected to sexual and other physical abuse." As the years have gone on, not much has changed and male same sex relationships are still frowned upon just as they were decades ago.

But that doesn't mean homosexuality doesn't exist within Ghana; infact figures show it to be increasing! As I speak to an American traveller from Senegal, it is made clear that there is traces of gay communities in spite of the Ghanaian law. He tells how openly gay men operate in Accra and that there is still some underground gay bars - he has even seen someone walking around as a cross-dresser! He said the following: "A lot of times if you ask people they say it should be illegal - but when faced with it they don't protest, I've seen a cross-dresser at a restraurant being left alone as well as gay people in Accra." Once more these experiences show the sketchy nature of the national thought cloud around homosexuality.

It remains a strange issue to me, a British traveller where in the country I come from people have gay marriages that are legal and kids at school openly walk around reflecting their homosexual status. People here obviously feel very passionate about the issue even though there seems to be no general one reason as to why it should be illegal. Perhaps reflecting the Western African values, all the European and American people I asked said it should be legal; Hannah Remo, a 16 year old American volunteer said: "If someone likes fish or chicken it's their choice. If that doesn't affect anyone else then people should be happy together." Liam Sharpe, a 22 year old volunteer from England, added: "It doesn't matter - it doesn't affect anyone" while James Quinn, another volunteer, 19 from England said: "It should be legal, why should it matter at all?"

My time asking the local people of Cape Coast shown a social stigma that is representative of the general thought consensus taking place around Ghana; while the subject remains a tentative and often cloudy issue, as a Western traveller I can only hope that homosexuality becomes an issue that is reviewed to atleast be taught so that people are more informed about the matter to form their own opinion.