Homosexuality a 'psychiatric problem' - Foh-Amoaning

Human Rights advocate Moses Foh-Amoaning has asked stakeholders interested in legalisation of homosexuality to rather channel their advocacy into provision of psychiatric treatment for gays.

The private legal practitioner said he does not agree to the legalisation of homosexuality when the individuals engaged in the act rather need psychiatric help.

This follows a recent interview with Al Jazeera in which President Nana Akufo-Addo said changing Ghana’s laws to legalise homosexuality is not a matter which is "on the agenda" but "bound to happen".

According to him: “This is the socio-cultural issue if you like,” adding: “I don’t believe that in Ghana, so far, a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact on public opinion that will say: ‘Change it [the law], let’s then have a new paradigm in Ghana’”.

But Mr Foh-Amoaning in an interview with Joy FM on Monday, November 27, said: “The difficulty is the elevation of what is clearly a psychiatric problem. If all of us became homosexuals, how would we protect the fundamental human right which is the right to life,” he queried.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Mustapha Hamid has said that the government of Ghana does not intend to legalise homosexuality.

“Government’s position on homosexuality is that it is unacceptable now in Ghana and since law is premised on custom what it also means is that we cannot make it legal,” Mr Hamid stated.