Religious Leaders Hate Us The Most – Ghanaian Gay Activist laments

Alex Kofi Donkor, the Founder and Director of LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana, which is predominantly composed of young people advocating for a safe, inclusive, and free society for LGBTQI+ persons, has criticized religious leaders who reject their community instead of welcoming them according to a report by MyNewsGh.

Speaking on a Kumasi-based radio show, Donkor argued that these leaders, who should love their neighbors as themselves according to religious teachings, instead lead the persecution and hatred against LGBTQI+ people in Ghana.

Donkor expressed his frustration with pastors and imams in Ghana, accusing them of preaching hate and misunderstanding the message of their religion. He lamented that listening to their rhetoric is always stressful, and they easily judge and condemn the LGBTQI+ community.

In response to the commonly held belief that there are few members of the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana, Donkor asserted that they are a significant and contributing population.

As a researcher and public health practitioner, he emphasized that his work helps many Ghanaians who are not gay but are unaware of their contribution to society. He urged people to appreciate their community and recognize that they are not inherently bad; they are merely people created like everyone else.

Donkor's remarks come in the wake of US Vice President Kamala Harris's visit to Ghana, which sparked a debate on LGBTQI+ rights in the country after she called it a human rights issue that must be addressed globally.