LGBTQ not a human right issue, we’ll not accept it – Rev. Emmanuel Asante

Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante has said the existence of LGBTQ in Ghana is not a human right issue and, therefore, no country can force Ghanaians to accept the act and legalize it.

This comes after the European Union in Ghana declared its full support and participated in the opening of the new community space of the LGBTQ in Ghana.

The EU noted that equality, tolerance, and respect for each other are its core values and therefore support civil society organizations promoting LGBTQ rights in the country.

But speaking on the Class Morning Show (CMS) on Wednesday, 24 February 2021, Rev Prof Asante who is the former Chairman of the National Peace Council noted that LGBTQ has nothing to do with human rights but a confused orientation of certain individuals that can be worked on by psychologists.

He told show host Kofi Oppong Asamoah that: “LGBT is not a human rights issue, let me make it clear that it will be wrong for anybody to tell us that this is their human right because as I’m saying for us, the ontological priority of the community over the individual is very important and, therefore, we should not go by the liberal conception of human right and ignore our moderate communalism that dictates our rights here in Ghana.

“The community has spoken and I think that the authorities of our land will understand. Going abroad with cup in hand going for aid and for them to use that as a bait to force us to accept things that are contrary to our values is unacceptable and I think it is proper for us to learn to live on our own such as cutting our coat according to our size and not allow people to use their so-called aid to force us to do things that some of their own people are fighting against.”

Rev Asante wondered why the West is attempting to force homosexualism on Africans when it is against the African culture and values.

He stated that Ghanaians will neither accept nor legalize the act.

In his words: “90 percent of Ghanaians are religious and we can say we will not accept such practices and it doesn’t mean we are being hypocritical. As I said, homosexuality and lesbianism from my perspective is as sinful as any other sin but then we don’t openly begin to defend such practices in the name of human rights.

“If I get up to say that look I’m a kleptomania, therefore, if I see you holding something because I’m kleptomania, I feel like stealing it, it is my situation, so it is my right to do those kinds of things, do we simply allow that? Yes, people may have certain orientations but we can work on people’s orientation. Psychologists have what it takes to address some of these issues and, therefore, it will be wrong and I was really offended when I read that the EU representative was talking about respecting the human rights of others. How about my rights? And I believe your freedom will end where my nose begins.

“They are the people telling us about democracy and we have the majority, 99 percent of Ghanaians saying this is something we will not accept because it is against our cultural values, so why do we push it?”