File Photo: Some military officers are said to be facing threats due to supposed LGBTQ connections
The recent wave of homophobic attacks in the country appears to have crept into the Ghana Armed Forces, with some officers believed to be in danger.
Reports indicate that some military officers have their futures and live at serious risk following rumors of them being members of the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana or having close associations with political figures who have declared their stance against LGBTQ+ activities in the country.
Sources tell GhanaWeb that while the leadership of the Ghana Armed Forces is taking measures to address the situation, some of the officers who have been earmarked for possible attacks are seeking help, with some of them attempting to flee the country due to possible reprisal attacks.
While no names have officially been mentioned, it comes after a Peace FM Online publication that a military officer affiliated with the former chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddy Blay, has received threats following Blay’s criticism of the anti-LGBTQ+ stance. The report added that the whereabouts of this army officer are currently unknown.
The officer, whose name has been given as Lance Corporal Usher Boah, was mentioned in the story as a possible target of attacks by homophobes due to his role as an aide to Freddy Blay.
Freddy Blay, speaking on Accra-based Asaase Radio, said homosexuals should be allowed to enjoy themselves in Ghana and not be prevented.
“In this case, I’m expressing my own opinion on the matter. I don’t subscribe to gayism as a choice because I’m not attracted to men. But I don’t want to go into people’s bedrooms; I don’t want to see what they are doing. If you want to be gay, then it should be your own problem.
I won’t go ahead to be a persecutor of those who want to be together as man and man or woman and woman. I think there is too much hypocrisy about it, and we’ve been excited, emotions have been excited over it to the extent that we are not sober. I honestly don’t see the hullabaloo about it; we should allow them,” he said in an interview.