Being gay is not all about sex - Sister Derby

Ghanaian Afropop musician Sister Derby has expressed her displeasure at the commentary used towards members of the LGBT community.

According to her, many people make the mistake of reducing homosexuality to merely an “activity” or “lifestyle.”

Speaking in an interview with Bryt TV, the “Uncle Obama” hitmaker argued that being gay or queer is a natural occurrence and not solely about sex.

"Even the language that we've been using is incorrect because it's not just an activity; these are human beings who exist. But we often make the mistake of narrowing it down to sex. It's not all about sex.

"We have gay and queer people who haven't engaged in sexual activity before. So what about them, too? We don't have to pigeonhole or limit these people to sex, right? When we consider the world's best and most talented fashion designers, a significant percentage, if not the majority, are queer," she argued.

She further contended that due to the oppression faced by Africans, the hatred towards LGBT members arises from a desire to do the same to others. She added that if gay people were wealthy, they would be respected and celebrated in society.

"In our parts of the world, there's a lot of poverty. So when we encounter queer people, their socioeconomic status is not what we often expect. Already, we are oppressed. We are in a struggling economy. We are suffering. So now, we also want to oppress someone whom people in power are labeling as inferior to us. You are being oppressed when you seek to oppress somebody.

"You can probably agree with me that if every queer person in Ghana were very wealthy, wealthier than even the level of Bobriski, do you think they'd be disrespected and treated this way? You know, money is power," she stated.

Sister Derby’s comments add to the ongoing debate over the anti-LGBT bill, which has various stakeholders expressing differing opinions on its implications.

This legislation aims to establish proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values while criminalizing LGBTQ+ and related activities.

The bill was introduced by a group of eight Members of Parliament, led by Samuel Nartey George, an NDC MP representing Ningo-Prampram.

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