The Perceptions of Ghanaians of LGBTQI+ People and Activities in Ghana

• In Event: Lightning Talk: Women, Parenting, Families, & Criminal Justice

Abstract

At the beginning of the year 2021, an LGBTQI+ resource center was shut down in Accra, the capital city of Ghana. This center aimed at championing the freedom of LGBTQI+ persons in Ghana. In May 2021, twenty-one LGBTQI+ activists were arrested by the police. While the 1992 Constitution and the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) of Ghana did not explicitly discuss LGBTQI+, the current government of Ghana is determined now to criminalize LGBTQI+ activities. In fact, in August 2021, the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill was introduced in parliament which seeks to criminalize LGBTQI+ activities in Ghana. It is within these contexts that this quantitative study explores and describes Ghanaian perceptions of LGBTQI+ activities and the proposed bill. To date, there has been no previous studies that have attempted to quantitatively examine the perceptions of Ghanaians on LGBTQI+ issues. Therefore, this study will represent an important contribution to the paucity of literature in this area. Furthermore, the results from this study may help stimulate global concerns about the unjust treatment of LGBTQI+ people and may promote a more effective platform for addressing LGBTQI+ issues.


Vanessa Ampofoa Boadu
Northern Arizona University
[email protected]
928.221.8843

Author

• Vanessa Ampofoa Boadu, Northern Arizona University