Patrons of LGBTQI+ need clinical psychologist - Tema residents advise

Some residents in Tema Metropolises have advised LGBTGI+ groups in Ghana to seek clinical psychologists’ assistance to come out of the practice.

In a random survey around town, a legal practitioner in Tema who wants to remain anonymous told the GNA in an interview that, he was of the belief that there were some prominent members who were trying to enforce the legalization of LGBTQI+ in Ghana, all in the name of human right.

Human right issues must make sense, “the one that make sense is that which we need to uphold and not the abnormal one,” he said.

He said LGBTQI+ was a wrong choice and Ghanaians must support the passage of the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill into law.

Stephen Nii Lante Addison, a Draughtsman, Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), was of the view that there was hope for those who practised LGBTQI+.

“I believe LGBTQI+ is a disease of the mind and this calls for rehabilitation for anyone who practice the art,” Mr Addison stated.

He said, “God has giving human beings conscience, which helps them to know right from wrong. From the beginning of creation through the time of being in Noah’s Ark, God called the animals both male and female each because of procreation, but now humans want to digress from natural creation and transform themselves into something else.

“Even animals will not mate with animals of same-sex unlike those who practice LGBTQI+ do,” he said.

Mr. Addison described LGBTQI+ as an importation of foreign policies, which was pathetic.

He said what they needed was psychiatric treatment and not legalizing the act for them to operate in Ghana.

Other residents also expressed similar sentiments and called on parliament to pass the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill immediately.

Torgbuiga Akpo Ashiakpor VI, the Paramount Chief and Overload of Weta Traditional Area in the Ketu North Municipality, pledged total support for the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, also known as the anti-LGBTI+ Bill.

The Bill seeks to outlaw activities of the LGBTI+ community.

Torgbuiga asserted that traditional leaders were the custodians of customs and traditions, hence the need to get it protected at all cost;

"Every nation is built on traditions and customs and we are the custodians of these customs and traditions of the people".

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema on the position of the traditional leaders on the debate on passage of the LGBTQI+ Bill, and the emergence of team of 18 high profile personalities who were against the Bill, Torgbuiga emphasised the need to protect the family system hence the need to pass the anti-LGBTQI+ Bill to criminalise the act.

On Wednesday, October 6th, 2021 Apostle Eric Nyamekye, who is the Chairman of The Church of Pentecost and Apostle Dr. Aaron Ami-Narh, President of the Apostolic Church, Ghana, led a delegation which presented a memorandum of 15,000 signatures to Parliament’s Committee for Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to express strong support for the Bill dubbed “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021.

Meanwhile, the group of 18 high profile professionals in various fields including law and academia have submitted a memo to Parliament to kick against the anti- LGBTQI+ bill.

To them, the proponents of the Bill have not provided any data or evidence to suggest that there is such a threat, beyond a resort to some dogmatic religious tenets and so-called Ghanaian family values, hence want the Bill rejected.

They include; Akoto Ampaw, Professor Kofi Gyimah-Boadi, Dr Rose Kutin-Mensah, Professor Kwasi Prempeh, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Professor Kwame KariKari, Professor Raymond Atuguba, and Dr Yao Graham.

The rest are: Professsor Dzodzi Tsikata, Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, Kofi Ofei-Nkansah, Dr Kojo Asante, Akunu Dake, Tetteh Homerku-Adjjei and Professor Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh.