(Ottawa) LGBTQ+ community activists in Canada say the federal government should do more to fight a movement that is organizing in Africa to suppress the rights of sexual and gender minorities, while remaining cautious when address these issues in public.
“We are being silenced,” lamented the founder of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, Alex Kofi Donkor, during a recent visit to Ottawa.
Ghana has banned all homosexual acts since British rule. Human Rights Watch says LGBTQ+ people in this country face a climate of fear and violence.
Mr. Donkor, 33, tried to change this reality a few years ago by starting a blog. Its purpose: to document human rights issues.
A little later, the medical researcher wanted to go even further by launching his organization to educate the media and politicians on the issues of the LGBTQ+ community. It opened its first physical office in January 2021, but police raided it a month later and ordered it closed.
In August 2021, politicians in Ghana began debating a bill to ban gender-affirming care and allow the imprisonment of people who promote LGBTQ+ community activities.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, but he did not discuss the bill.
Mr. Donkor, however, believes that Mr. Trudeau made the right choice. He recalled that taking a position that was too strong could have fueled the idea that the West is imposing its values on Africa.
“There are times when we need outside support, but others when we don’t,” he said.
American controversy
In March, Ghana’s presidential palace was lit up with the colors of the Ghanaian and US flags to mark the visit of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
However, the combination of the colors of the two flags has prompted some opponents of the rights of LGBTQ+ people to warn that the United States is trying to impose its vision on things.
Then, during a press conference, Mr.me Harris was asked to comment on the bill by an American reporter. She called it a “human rights issue.”
“It pushed people to say that we had to go even faster to pass the bill, because the United States had come to dictate their values to us,” said Mr. Donkor.
“Today, we still have to repair the broken pots,” he lamented.
Several ideas
Many newcomers to Canada argue that they have a key role to play in the fight against repression of LGBTQ+ rights in their home country, because they understand the local culture and politics. In doing so, however, they expose themselves to negative reactions from those close to them.
During a panel on this subject, this week in Ottawa, several organizations came to present their ideas on how Western countries can defend the rights of LGBTQ+ people abroad, without risking unintentional harm to the cause.
One of these ways would be to take note of the fact that certain groups opposed to this community in Africa receive funding from Western countries, in particular the United States.
“We are dealing with a well-funded and well-coordinated international movement against the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people, women and all other oppressed people. We will have to put in place the same level of coordination and funding to respond to this issue, “said the director of the Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity, Debbie Owusu-Akyeeah.
As for Mr. Donkor, he returns this Saturday to Ghana, despite death threats which would probably give him a chance to apply for refugee status in Canada. However, he hopes that his country will be able to welcome diversity.
Mr. Donkor believes that Canada can play a role in improving the situation of LGBTQ+ people in his country, but that it will be necessary for Ghanaians to take the first steps.
“We will tell you what we need,” he said.