Opinions of Sunday, 6 August 2023

Columnist: Joel Savage

Owusu Bempah's discrimination against LGBTQIA people may deny him a visa to the United States

Ernest Owusu Bempah Ernest Owusu Bempah

Just a few days ago, the ruling party's Deputy Communication Director, Ernest Owusu Bempah, aggressively and verbally attacked a former Ghanaian journalist and radio presenter for speaking out against the government's weak administration, which was affecting the people.

According to Mr. Kwasi Kyei Darkwah, the NPP's goal is to break the 8th cycle with the opposition, the NDC lacks judgment. He has a reason for this: Ghana's present ruling regime is the worst in the country's political history.

Even though widespread corruption, inefficiency, embezzlement, and high rates of unemployment and crime have led to the downfall of Ghana's formerly thriving economy, the NPP government's greed and the president’s arrogance, will not allow them to admit their failure.

Instead, the government has waged war on anyone who disagrees with it. As a result, Owusu Bempah was irritated when KDD mentioned the NPP government's ridiculous promises of breaking the 8th cycle.

The so-called Deputy Communication Director advised KKD to deal with his homosexual son but not to interfere with NPP party matters. I'm not sure if any parents are coping with LGBTQIA+ families, but this attack is uncalled for, and Owusu Bempah's discriminating comment towards LGBTQIA+ persons is completely useless.

As a politician, he should have known that, while Ghana's Constitution opposes the legalization of homosexuality, discrimination against them is completely unacceptable.

Even though Ghanaians might oppose the legalization of homosexuality, the fact that it is not part of our rich tradition and legacy does not give that individual the ability to discriminate against homosexuals.

Discrimination against LGBTQIA+ persons leads to violence against people; hence many governments around the world do not accept it. An employer can lose his entire business because of LGBTQ discrimination; we need to realize this in underdeveloped nations while we oppose its legality.

Ernest Owusu Bempah is not clever; if he is, he should have known that his remark about KKD would cause numerous issues, including the possibility of him not being able to obtain a visa to the United States of America, considering that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has stated unequivocally that "discrimination against LGBTI people undermines the human rights principles outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

While Ghana waits for the parliament to pass the bill opposing the legalization of homosexuality in our country, that does not give anyone the right to discriminate or use violence against them because it is a crime that can lead to many years in prison in developing countries. We should not declare that since Africa is different, we must discriminate or use violence against LGBTQIA+ people.