Robert Akoto Amoafo
The Director of Amnesty International Ghana, Robert Akoto Amoafo has come under heavy criticisms and insults from Ghanaians for saying that the rights of the Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender( LGBT) community in Ghana ought to be respected and that no one has the right to mete out physical violence to them.
Reacting to concerns of hostility against the LGBT community, Mr. Amoafo had stated that everyone including them deserves to be respected and his or her rights upheld but many online reacted with insults, insisting that the LGBTQ community deserves no such respect.
Mr. Robert Akoto Amoafo was reacting to concerns raised by some Ghanaians about a planned international conference to be held in Ghana by a group calling itself Pan Africa International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.
The Conference according to an announcement placed on the association’s website reads “Our 5th Regional Conference, 27 – 31 July 2020 in Accra, Ghana. This will the first PAI conference in West Africa.
Ghana’s history as the centre of Pan Africanist thought and ideas holds special significance for PAI. The SANKOFA Bird, a historic national symbol of Ghana has been chosen as our logo. The symbol speaks to the importance of going back to fetch that which should not be left behind, find knowledge in our past, and build a future. Thus, we will be: Looking Back to Our Roots – Reclaiming Our Rights!
But a section of Ghanaians has vowed to teach patrons of the event a lesson of their lives if they dare visit the country with tireless anti-gay rights campaigner Lawyer Moses Foh-Amoaning appealing to government to deny them visas.
