Sarpong, Justice

What is it about homosexuality that send intelligent Ghanaians who hate discrimination to lose their senses and start behaving like the KKK? Do Ghanaians think that homosexuals if they are allowed to live their lives will infect their children to contract homosexuality? Be rest assured that Homosexuality is not an infectious disease. Some people, including the clergy, Politicians and NUGS are behaving like homosexuality is an infectious plaque if allowed to exist will wipe human existence from the face of the earth. Do we have to promote homosexuality? Hell NOOO but the approach we have taken to hate them to extinction will not work. We have to interact with them and have a respectful discourse devoid of hate and name calling and appeal to their moral conscience to change their sexual orientation if it is possible. Believe me, a lot of homosexuals and lesbians will change their lifestyle but to some of them, its not possible. I don't think they enjoy being hated and will change their lifestyle but to them, it is like telling a man who loves the opposite sex to change his sexual orientation and become a homosexual. We need to learn from them why they prefer to have sex with same sex and maybe we can understand and help them to change if possible.

Once again, the homosexuality issue is back on the front pages because of the lady who has been nominated to head the Gender,Children and Social Protection Ministry long history of speaking for the rights of gays and lesbians. As human rights lawyer, Oye Lithur as expected has defended the rights of those in society who have no voice or political power to speaqk for themselves and because of that, she is being made to pay the price for doing what our Clergy, Chiefs and Politicians have failed to do.

Is homosexuality wrong? As Ghanaians, our traditions and norms frown on the practice of homosexuality and our religions, Christianity, Islam and others also sees homosexuality as morally decadent. As a Christian and Catholic, I also believe homosexuality is morally wrong and don't understand why two men will like to engage in sexual intercourse with each other, it makes my skin crawl but what I am not ready to do is to be homophobic foaming on the mouth with hate like the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church and others are doing. What is Oye Lithur's stand on the homosexual issue when she appeared at the appointment committee of Parliament? This is what she said;

“My stand on the actual practice of gay and lesbianism is personal and the issue of homosexuality is a societal issue which I believe our society should discuss, debate and deliberate upon and come to a conclusion as to whether they want to accept it or not. My focus is on defending the rights of everyone who finds himself or herself in Ghana.”

What does she mean by "the issue of homosexuality is a societal issue which I believe our society should discuss, debate and deliberate upon and come to a conclusion"? There in lies the whole problem. This homosexual issue can easily be solved if our Politicians, especially the legislature will do its job by enacting a law that will criminalize homosexuality and lesbianism but they are antipathetic to it but afraid to offend some Western countries they derpend on for grants and loans. Ask yourself why with about 99% of the population who are against the practice of homosexuality in Ghana, why we don't have any law making homosexuality a crime, WHY?

When some of us speaks for the rights of all Ghanaians on this issue, we get accused of being homosexuals but that is not true. Most of us are as heterosexuals as they come but we want the right thing to be done. The homosexuals are not doing anything criminal and they should not be persecuted.

Criminalize homosexuality and the Oye Lithurs of this world will not be talking about homosexuals rights because they will not have any rights then. Armed Robbers, murderers, Rapists, child molesters and others in the same category don't have rights because what they do is criminal. Why am I talking about Murderers and armed robbers on this issue? Some contributors to this debate on homosexuality usually come up with, homosexuals don't have rights or urge those of us who defends them why we are not defending the rights of armed robbers and murderers? We don't defend those people because there are laws in Ghana that make it a crime to engage in those endevours but there is no law that makes it a crime to be a homosexual. Ban homosexuality and I will not defend them or talk about their rights because then they will cease to have any rights.

"The Moderator of the Presby Church, Prof. Emmanuel Martey is asking the Appointments Committee of Parliament not to approve Nana Oye Lithur as the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection.He says her stance on homosexuality and lesbianism is very dangerous for the moral health of society.Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Thursday, the Moderator said homosexuality, which Nana Oye Lithur is accused of promoting in the past, is morally wrong and must not be entertained"

Her stance on homosexuality and lesbianism is very dangerous for the moral health of society? How? Oye Lithur is not promoting the practice of homosexuality and lesbianism, she is only teaching people not 'lynch' them because there is no law against what they do. What they do might fall short of the standard and morals of Christian religion but they will have a date with God to answer like everybody else who believes we will all account for our behaviour on earth. It is rather very strange a Moderator of a Church like Presbyterian will take this stance bordering on hate.

Homosexuality is not a crime so those of you people with hearts of discrimination as your breakfast, homophobic as your lunch and foaming on the mouth with hate as your dinner should appeal to parliament to make homosexuality a crime and people like Oye Lithur will not have any law or legs to stand on talking about homosexual rights because when you criminalize it, then they lose their rights to practice that behaviour, until then, we should stop peeping into the bedrooms of others like SEXUAL POLICE and monitoring the sexual activities of our neighbours.. It will be a travesty of justice if we allow hate and discrimination to torpedo the nomination of Oye Lithur who is a class act and a respected Human Rights from heading the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.

Justice Sarpong

(CARDINAL of TRUTH)