Former Ghanaian President Opposes LGBTQ Practices Citing Religious Beliefs

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Former Ghanaian President Opposes LGBTQ Practices Citing Religious Beliefs

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Ghana’s former president and leading opposition figure, John Dramani Mahama, has expressed opposition to LGBTQ practices, citing conflicts with his Christian faith.

“I cannot accept a man marrying a man, or a woman marrying a woman,” Mr. Mahama stated.

Speaking to a group of Ghanaian religious leaders on Wednesday, he emphasized, “I don’t believe that anybody can claim to feel like a man, though born a woman, and decide to change.”

The issue of LGBTQ rights is contentious in Ghana. Currently, the country’s parliament is considering an anti-LGBTQ bill that proposes harsh penalties for LGBTQ individuals. If passed, the bill will make it illegal for Ghanaians to identify as LGBTQ, increase the maximum sentence for same-sex activities from three to five years, and prohibit advocacy for LGBTQ rights.

Under Ghanaian law, homosexual acts are already criminalized, carrying a three-year prison sentence.

John Dramani Mahama served as Ghana’s president from 2012 to 2017 but was defeated in his bid for a second term by the current President Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2016 elections. At 65 years old, Mahama is running for re-election in the upcoming December presidential elections, representing the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress.