We put food in the mouth, not in the armpit - Prof Gyampo chides LGBT advocates

Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana Ransford Gyampo has hit back at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and inter-sexed community (LGBTQI) advocates, over calls for passing of legislation to allow the free practice of its members in the country.

Currently, Ghana’s laws criminalise acts by persons belonging to this group.



Read full article/> Section 104 of the Criminal Code prohibits one from having unnatural carnal knowledge with another person.

Prof Ransford Gyampo, who couples as the head of Youth Bridge Research Institute ascribed in a write up sighted by GhanaWeb that, the rights being sought for by LGBTQI advocates connotes poor, falling and unhealthy standards of a society.

His charge adds up to persons who have come out strongly against any such consideration of rights of LGBTQI members, after ministers Adwoa Safo, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey also condemned same.

“Every society must have a standard. A healthy person in any standard society eats by putting food in the mouth.

"If you see a human being putting food under his or her armpit and insisting that it’s a right, then the person is either not fit to be in the standard society, or there is something wrong that requires immediate attention and intervention.

"For, we put food in the mouth; we don’t put food in the armpit.!” Prof Gyampo chided.

The conversation about same-sex marriage and the practice of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and inter-sexed community has been ripped open after the group reportedly opened a new office in Accra.

On February 2, 2021, a tweet from @LGBTRightsGhana showed photos of the opening of the LGBTI office in Accra.

The tweet acknowledged the presence of the Australian Ambassador to Ghana, Gregory Andrews; the Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Norring; the European Union Ghana; and controversial musician, Wanlov the Kubolor, for gracing the occasion.

While it remains to be known where exactly the office is located, or, what the creation of the office aims to achieve, calls for it to be closed are building up, even as arguments to support the discouragement of such practices in the country also pick momentum.