Meet Edem, the man praised by the US govt for being the ‘engine’ behind LGBTQ+ advocacy in Ghana

At this year's Pride Flag hoisting, United States Ambassador to Ghana Stephanie Sullivan singled one man out for praise for his work in advocating for the rights of the LGBTQI community in Ghana.

The man is Shone Edem Lawrence who serves as an official mouthpiece for the LGBTQI community in Ghana.

Edem was the only person the US Ambassador mentioned by name and praised his extraordinary courage to continue to advocate for the LGBTQI community in Ghana despite all the threats.

But who is Shone Edem Lawrence? MyNewsGh.com has put together some facts about the activist.

Shone Edem, is the Executive Director of Key Watch Ghana, an intersex-led NGO in Ghana and has extensive working experience on various programs for LGBT+ persons in Ghana for more than 10 years.

Various reports describe him as a human rights advocate and an HIV prevention and treatment services interventionist.

Edem Shone also works with the Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa (IDNOWA), providing advocacy for LGBT+ and faith leaders in West Africa.

He is the Public Relations Officer of the Alliance for Equality and Diversity (AfED) and also serves as a member of the Justice and Peace Committee of the Global Network of Rainbow Catholics (GNRC).

He is passionate about intersex visibility and rights recognition, as well as the rights of all LGBT+ persons.

He was one of the leading voices when the government and U.N. officials in Ghana were forced to defend a school sex education program on last two years ago, after religious groups said it was part of a “satanic” attempt to promote LGBT+ values. Reuters, an internationally renowned media organisation quoted him in the following:

“Representatives of LGBT+ rights groups in Ghana said they were saddened by the backlash, but that most of the content of the proposed curriculum was already taught in schools. “I think most people are arguing from an ignorant point of view”.

Lawrence Shone Edem Adjei is also the ILGA World Representative of the Intersex Committee for Africa according to an international leader in the LGBT+ global fight at https://ilga.org/intersex-steering-committee-Africa.

The ILGA World is an umbrella organisation representing 1,614 member organisations from 158 countries and territories. Full membership to the association is only open to lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or intersex non-profit organisations, while associate membership is open to any other association and all members have to support the aims of ILGA World.Lawrence Shone Edem Adjei is the ILGA World Representative of the Intersex Committee for Africa according to an international leader in the LGBT+ global fight at https://ilga.org/intersex-steering-committee-Africahe schooled at Kpando Senior High School and was at the Peki Teacher Training College for a Diploma in Basic Education, before heading to the E. P University College to successfully bag a Bachelors Degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development.