A group calling itself Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans-sexuals of Ghana, have threatened to boycott the December polls if nothing concrete is done to bring them into the mainstream of socio-economic life in terms of recognition of their human rights.
The leader of the group, Prince MacDonald, said “we are discriminated upon because of our sexual orientation and no one dares talk for us.”
He called on the various parties to factor them in their policies.
Mr. MacDonald said another area of concern to them is the treatment they receive from the nation’s health professionals, stressing that ‘if you have an infection and you go to the hospital, you will be told to provide your partner before treatment. How can I provide my male partner in such a wicked environment”.
According to him, he is surprised at the way human rights activists have all kept quiet pretending not to be aware of their plight while they jump on the airwaves making their voices heard on issues of what he considers to be less important. He said his people always leave the hospital with disappointment and go to the drug stores for drugs they think would help with their problems or see their friends for assistance, saying this makes them feel as if they are second class citizens in their own land of birth.
“In some cases, the drug stores will also ask you to go back to the hospital for treatment and you continue to suffer till you find a way to deal with your sickness or situation”, he told this paper.
Mr MacDonald said though gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender lifestyle is criminalized in the country’s criminal code, it does not say it is illegal for a man to have sex with another man nor vice versa clearly.On the other hand, he maintained that most of his colleagues too are dying from the deadly HIV/AIDS unnoticed, and sometimes subjected to beatings from people who call themselves straight in certain communities.
“We have no access to treatment when sick and we cannot wait any more for treatment, for our people are dying. It is election time and not even the ruling party or the other parties will say because we are lesbians and gays we should not vote” he noted, adding that “when they win, they forget we voted for them…we pay taxes and abide by the rules of the country so why are they worrying us”.He insisted that the group would vote only for a political party that has a policy which would be touching on “issues of our health and once they fail it means no vote for them”.
