People shouldn't be 'attacked', 'abused' over their sexual preferences - Opuni-Frimpong

The former General Secretary of Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong has condemned homophobic attacks on people who associate themselves with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) community in Ghana.

Taking his turn on the '21 Minutes with KKB’ show, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong expressed his displeasure at the inhumane acts such as lynching and battery, which are directed at the LGBT folks.

He also lambasted employers who deny prospective employees job opportunities or sack them from their workplaces because they ascribe to LGBT values.

“The only thing we will say is, this idea of attacking people, that we want to throw people away, that we want to maim people, that we want to abuse people for sexual preferences, shouldn’t be. You know, I’ve sacked you, I’ve denied you employment. That thing shouldn’t be,” he said.

He, however, chastised LGBT groups who tend to impose their culture on Ghanaian citizens to refrain from doing so.

“But for same-sex union lobbying to impose on us that this is civilization, this civilization is for them, not for us,” he added.

Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong criticized foreign countries for the continuous dispassionate deportation of African migrants who have travelled there to seek greener pastures.



According to him, it was pointless for such countries to claim to be offering aid to developing economies yet sack their youth from their countries.

“What we want for our young people is employment. If someone wants to help us, they must allow our young people into their markets. They should not drive away our young people as bad people. You must help our migrant youth. We have Ghanaian youth who even if they have erred, they find themselves in Europe; you put them in chains in the next available flight to come and throw them away like criminals and you say you want to help us, in the name of human rights,” he lamented.

There have been calls by developed countries on their less developed counterparts to legalize homosexuality or risk losing assistance from them.

This led to subtle attempts by pro-gay groups to lobby for the legalization of homosexuality in Parliament. The move was countered by members of both the ruling government and the opposition on the premise that the act is not in consonance with the Ghanaian culture.

Ghana has recorded series of homophobic attacks on lesbians and gays, ranging from mob battery to lynching. Students who were caught in the act were either suspended or expelled.