Mrs. Stephanie Sullivan:USA ambassador to Ghana and H.E Robert P. Jackson. Former USA Ambassador to Ghana (Advocates For The Vulnerable)

We urge President Nana Akufo Addo to act as a Human rights lawyer by adhering to the standards laid down in the universal human rights documents. The Republic of Ghana is a member of the United Nations and has ratified UN Human Rights Conventions and thus has made binding international commitments..

H.E.Gregory Andrews , Australia High Commissioner to Ghana has played a useful and humanitarian role towards derailing the obnoxious LGBT bill in Ghana to protect the vulnerable LGBT. His work includes creating the awareness and protection of innocent 'witch' camps in northern Ghana.

Our Mission

To protect the rights of the vulnerable and LGBT in Ghana. Publicly advocate against the proposed obnoxious 10year jail bill.

LGBT DESERVES RESPECT

Sensitize the public about rights of LGBT .And how someone’s bed room shouldnt be your problem. Educate Ghanaians about the lie- myth surrounding LGBT To use the newly created social media platform to champion the above goals.

LGTB HAS RIGHTS

Let Ghanaians understand that, LGBT has no occurrence link with Soldom and Gomorra type of destruction as preached by my Muslim and Christian leaders...

FEATURED PICTURE HUB

Featured Picture availabe here.

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We Protect's

Everyone has rights and needs to be protected, it a duty to keep everyone safe and it our duty to fight and protect the interest and rights of the following.

  • WOMEN – RIGHTS Women's rights are human rights! These include the right to live free from violence and discrimination; to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health; to be educated; to own property; to vote; and to earn an equal wage.
  • CHILDREN – RIGHTS In order to grow up properly, some basic needs are to be fulfilled as their right. Rights of Children include the Right to food, Right to clothing, Right to Shelter, Right to education, Right to entertainment, Right to good health and proper nourishment and the right to name and country.
  • LGBT – RIGHTS civil rights movement that advocates equal rights for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender persons; seeks to eliminate sodomy laws barring homosexual acts between consenting adults; and calls for an end to discrimination against gay men, lesbians, and transgender persons in employment, credit, housing, public accommodations, and other areas of life.
  • Rights For Alleged– Witches End Human Rights Abuses Against Alleged Witches
  • THE – DISADVANTAGED Social protection systems using a rights-based framework should mainstream inclusion in their design, implementation and evaluation to ensure that they are accessible by all those who suffer from structural discrimination (such as women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples and people living with HIV/AIDS)
What does “LGBT” mean? ?
LGBT stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.” While these terms have increasing global resonance, in different cultures other terms may be used to describe people who form same-sex relationships and those who exhibit non-binary gender identities (such as hijra, meti, lala, skesana, motsoalle, mithli, kuchu, kawein, travesty, muxé, fa’afafine, fakaleiti, hamjensgara and Two-Spirit). In a human rights context, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face both common and distinct challenges. Intersex people (those born with atypical sex characteristics) suffer many of the same kinds of human rights violations as LGBT people, as indicated below.
Is there any reason to criminalize homosexuality?
No. Criminalizing private sexual relationships between consenting adults, whether the relationships are samesex or different-sex, is a violation of the right to privacy. Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relationships are also discriminatory, and where enforced, violate rights to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention. At least 76 countries have laws in effect that criminalize private, consensual same-sex relationships, and in at least five countries conviction may carry the death penalty. In addition to violating basic rights, this criminalization serves to legitimize hostile attitudes towards LGBT people, feeding violence and discrimination. It also hampers efforts to halt the spread of HIV by deterring LGBT people from coming forward for testing and treatment for fear of revealing criminal activity.
Does international human rights law apply to LGBT people?
Yes, it applies to every person. International human rights law establishes legal obligations on States to make sure that everyone, without distinction, can enjoy their human rights. A person’s sexual orientation and gender identity is a status, like race, sex, colour or religion. United Nations human rights experts have confirmed that international law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
What is the Women's Rights 'Division (WRD)?
We are a group of women's rights activists who use international human rights law and norms to promote respect for women's rights throughout the world. Through in-country fact-finding and collaboration with local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), we seek to hold governments (and armed opposition groups) accountable for human rights abuses committed against women. We use press attention and advocacy at the local, national, and international levels to stigmatize governments and compel them to abide by international human rights standards. We are one of three thematic divisions of Human Rights Watch (the others are Children's Rights and Arms).
What do you try to achieve?
As women's rights activists, our work is to improve the responsiveness of the international human rights system to violations that happen exclusively to women or happen to women because they are women. Much of what we do, such as documenting sexual violence in armed conflict, is to highlight the ways in which different types of violence and discrimination against women are in fact human rights abuses and prohibited under international human rights law and international humanitarian law (the laws of war).
What issues do you work on?
We work on issues relating to a vast array of women's concerns, including women workers, domestic violence, sexual violence, women and HIV/AIDS, women and armed conflict, international justice, trafficking, refugees and internally displaced persons, gender-based asylum claims, women's status in the family, women's legal status, women in state custody, sexual autonomy, and reproductive rights.
What are children’s rights?
Children’s rights are defined by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention provides for three categories of rights: Rights of provision, for example to education and health care. Rights of protection, for example, from abuse and neglect. Rights of participation, for example the right to be heard in matters affecting the child.
What is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child?
On November 20, 1989, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most comprehensive treaty for the protection and support of children in existence today. It reaffirms the fact that children, because of their vulnerability, need special care and protection, defined in terms of rights. The Convention represents a historic milestone. It not only symbolizes the many years of struggle to improve children’s status in society but also attempts to consolidate international law on the basic rights of children. The Convention has been ratified by more countries than any other human rights treaty in history. Canada is one of over 170 nations that have signed the Convention, illustrating our government’s commitment to recognize the fundamental human dignity of our children and to ensure their well-being and healthy development. By signing this document, countries are obliged to review their domestic laws and practices regarding children and to make any changes needed to reach the minimum standards set by the Convention.
What are the guiding principles of the Convention?
There are four guiding principles; the aim is to provide the best conditions for the development of all children: The best interests principle. The Convention requires that the primary consideration in decision-making about children shall be the child’s best interests. Non-discrimination. All children must be provided with equal opportunity for healthy development. Importance of family. The Convention supports the importance of the family to the child, parental authority and parental guidance. Participation. Children must be given a voice in all matters that affect them in accordance with their age and maturity.
Why do you use the phrase LGBTIQA+ communities (instead of community)?
We use this term because there is no one monolithic "LGBTIQA+ community”. Everyone has multiple, intersecting identities (e.g., racial/ethnic identity, gender identity, ability status, educational background, income level, faith or religious affiliation, national origin). There are commonalities of experience among people who are marginalized based on actual or presumed sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression but to ignore the diversity of lived experience due to these intersecting identities feels disrespectful and is inaccurate.
What’s the difference between sex and gender?
Typically, people use “sex” to refer to a person's assigned sex at birth based upon physical anatomy and chromosomes. “Gender” is typically used to refer to roles, appearance, interests, and one’s psychological sense of themselves as a gendered being. Historically, a distinction has been made between sex and gender centered on the ways in which gender is socially constructed around a designation that has been presumed to be ‘objective’ and not socially constructed. When you look closer at the realities that assigned sex at birth (i.e., sex) is socially constructed based on what is considered to be ‘normative’ anatomical and chromosomal characteristics (consider the frequency of intersex conditions; estimated at 1 in 2000), some are now calling into question this rigid distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’. “Gender identity” is the gender an individual identifies as psychologically, regardless of the sex/gender they were assigned at birth. “Gender expression” is how someone expresses their gender through appearance, behavior, or mannerisms. A person’s gender expression may or may not be analogous to their gender identity, and a person’s biological sex may or may not be analogous to their gender identity or gender expression.
What is “gender identity”?
Gender identity reflects a deeply felt and experienced sense of one’s own gender. A person’s gender identity is typically consistent with the sex assigned to them at birth. For transgender people, there is an inconsistency between their sense of their own gender and the sex they were assigned at birth. In some cases, their appearance and mannerisms and other outwards characteristics may conflict with society’s expectations of gender-normative behaviour.
What does transgender mean?
Transgender (sometimes shortened to “trans”) is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of identities —including transsexual people, cross-dressers (sometimes referred to as “transvestites”), people who identify as third gender, and others whose appearance and characteristics are perceived as gender atypical. Transwomen identify as women
What kind of human rights violations are LGBT people exposed to?
LGBT people of all ages and in all regions of the world suffer from violations of their human rights. They are physically attacked, kidnapped, raped and murdered. In more than a third of the world’s countries, people may be arrested and jailed (and in at least five countries executed) for engaging in private, consensual, same-sex relationships. States often fail to adequately protect LGBT people from discriminatory treatment in the private sphere, including in the workplace, housing and healthcare. LGBT children and adolescents face bullying in school and may be thrown out of their homes by their parents, forced into psychiatric institutions or forced to marry. Transgender people are often denied identity papers that reflect their preferred gender, without which they cannot work, travel, open a bank account or access services. Intersex children may be subjected to surgical and other interventions
What are homophobia and transphobia?
Homophobia is an irrational fear of, hatred or aversion towards lesbian, gay or bisexual people; transphobia denotes an irrational fear, hatred or aversion towards transgender people. Because the term homophobia is widely understood, it is often used in an all-encompassing way to refer to fear, hatred and aversion towards LGBT people in general.

Progress History

Progressively we have been able to educate the public as well as protect individual rights

Individual Rights Protection
90%
Public Education
75%
Press Release & Press Conference
85%
Special Projects
55%

WHAT PEOPLE Says

“Love him and let him love you. Do you think anything else under heaven really matters?”.

James Baldwin

“It is absolutely imperative that every human being’s freedom and human rights are respected, all over the world.”

Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir

“Equality means more than passing laws. The struggle is really won in the hearts and minds of the community, where it really counts.”

Barbara Gittings

Activities

Campginers

Projects Done

Rights Activist

LATEST NEWS

THE ALLIANCE FOR PROTECTION OF THE VULNERABLE AND LGBT NEWS SECTION.

Scrap medical cost of violent abused cases

Scrap medical cost of violent abused cases


 

PARLIAMENT URGED TO PASS BILL TO PROSECUTE AND CLOSE WITCH CAMPS

PARLIAMENT URGED TO PASS BILL TO PROSECUTE AND CLOSE WITCH CAMPS

 





“Pass a bill to criminalize adultery too” — social activist tells 'hypocrite' clergy, Parliament

“Pass a bill to criminalize adultery too” — social activist tells 'hypocrite' clergy, Parliament

 

CEO of Humanity Magazine, Mr. Yahaya Alhassan



The CEO of Humanity Magazine, Mr. Yahaya Alhassan, has charged the Ghanaian clergy to redirect their energies and time towards fighting against other worst forms of sins that have permeated the Ghanaian society.

According to him, religious leaders who are pushing for the speedy passage of the bill criminalizing LGBTQ+ by the Ghanaian parliament should equally push for a bill to criminalize adultery and fornication.

Mr. Alhassan, who spoke in an interview in Accra reasoned that adultery is affecting family values and destroying many marriages that lead to broken homes in this country and yet that is not being talked about by religious authorities.

“Adultery has far more consequences to the Ghanaian society than same-sex relationships. Men have neglected to cater for their families and frivolously spend their earnings on concubines,” he stated.

In what he described as hypocrisy, he noted that the clergy appeared to have created a hierarchy of sins in the country that places same-sex relationships above all other sins in the country when however same-sex partnerships do not in anyway cause harm to other people.

“So, for the past week, Ghana has no pro-poor agenda than jailing members of the LGBTQ+ community? He asked and went on to wonder why there is no what he termed “Sam George bill” to regulate road accidents that are claiming several lives, armed robbery, corruption, and other social cankers that are eating away the fabrics holding our society.

 “There are thousands of vulnerable girls sleeping on the street through no fault of theirs and mass unemployment facing the country and sadly the voice of the clergy is not loud enough on these serious issues,” he lamented.

Mr. Alhassan thinks members of the LGBTQ+ community are only being targeted because they are vulnerable and cannot speak openly and campaign for their rights.“Five percent of the energy dedicated to persecuting same-sex partners should be directed towards generating solutions to fight corruption, which is the biggest issue affecting our political, economic and social lives,” he stressed.

He concluded by arguing that procreation is a choice and even bi-sexual partners sometimes make decisions not to produce children.“Same-sex partners deciding not to give birth should not be a problem for anyone. Should we also not encourage people to adopt the several orphans and other vulnerable children we have in our country? he quizzes.

Ghanaian LGBTQ+ centre closes after threats and abuse

Ghanaian LGBTQ+ centre closes after threats and abuse

 Founder says community centre in Accra was closed preemptively to protect its staff

Silhouettes of people against a rainbow flag
LGBTQ+ people have received death threats and online abuse since the opening of the centre in Accra. Photograph: Dai Kurokawa/EPA
Global development is supported by
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
About this content
Emmanuel Akinwotu West Africa correspondent

A community centre for LGBTQ+ people in Ghana has been closed, following a wave of protest against the rights of sexual minorities in the country.

In recent weeks government ministers and religious groups had demanded the closure of the centre, intended to be a safe space for LGBTQ+ people to meet and find support. Yet since the opening in January of the centre in the capital, Accra, many people have received death threats and online abuse.

The centre was closed preemptively, its founder said, to protect its staff.

Although same-sex relationships are illegal in Ghana, the law is rarely enforced, according to a 2018 report by Human Rights Watch.

However, the opening of the centre amplified discrimination against the community, said activists. Fatima Derby, a feminist writer, said LGBTQ+ Ghanaians were “under threat” after the “uproar” caused by the opening of the centre.

“It’s really disappointing the way the space has been treated. It’s also really disappointing the way LGBTQI+ individuals have been treated by politicians, religious leaders and even ordinary citizens.

“For a long period of time, LGBTQ Ghanaians have been treated as disposable, but I think now it is becoming more amplified,” she said.

“A lot of politicians have used this opportunity to gain favour once again from the electorate by being homophobic, because they know the population is largely homophobic.”

Last week, Sarah Adwoa Safo, newly elected minister for gender and children, told a parliamentary committee: “The issue of LGBTQI is an issue that when mentioned creates some controversy, but what I want to say is that our laws are clear on such practices. It makes it criminal.

“The criminality of LGBT is non-negotiable and our cultural practices also frown on it.”

At a recent press conference, Ghana’s information minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said the government was considering introducing legislation against LGBTQ+ advocacy. “We should be able to contemplate legislation in the interest of public morality, which will not be against the constitution but will now say that you cannot advocate for and promote LGBT activities in this country,” he said.

The community centre was set up by LGBT+ Rights Ghana. A fundraising event to mark the opening was attended by the Danish ambassador, the Australian high commissioner and EU delegates, which caused outrage and prompted repeated claims that the international community was promoting LGBTQ+ rights.

On Saturday, the Ghana Catholic church bishops’ conference released a statement demanding the centre be shut down and condemned “all those who support the practice of homosexuality in Ghana”.

“The EU should not impose their so-called values and beliefs on Ghanaians who are also against homosexuality,” it said.

It urged the government “never to be cowed down or to succumb to the pressure to legalise the rights of LGBTQIs in Ghana”.

The bishops’ comments made the front pages of a number of newspapers on Monday.

In response to the criticism, the EU diplomatic mission in Ghana posted a message of support on Facebook saying: “Equality, tolerance and respect for each other are core values of the EU. The EU supports civil society organisations promoting #LGBTIQ rights.”

Derby said claims that being gay went against Ghanaian culture, or was a result of western influence, were false and propagated by the church and the media.

On Tuesday, LGBT+ Rights Ghana tweeted that its offices had been raided and closed down by the police. The organisation had already received threats from opposition groups that the community centre would be destroyed.

On Monday, it urged people in the community not to panic but to stay safe. “This is not the best time to invite strangers over or visit strangers,” said the organisation, which was founded in 2018 to provide support for LGBTQ+ Ghanaians. People should “avoid staying alone in risk zones”, it added.

In an earlier statement the group said: “The fundraising activity [at the centre] has unfortunately sparked negative reporting riddled with false narrations in the Ghanaian media. We have the right as Ghanaians to live in peace, join groups, be protected from harm and have our privacy respected.”

Ghana security forces shut down LGBTQ office: Rights group

Ghana security forces shut down LGBTQ office: Rights group

 The LGBT+ Rights Ghana group says its Accra office was raided and closed by security forces.


Ghana security forces raided and shut down the office of an LGBTQ rights group in the capital, Accra, the organisation has said, after politicians and religious leaders called for its closure.

Gay sex is a criminal offence in the West African country and members of the LGBTQ community face widespread discrimination.

“This morning, our office was raided by National Security,” the LGBT+ Rights Ghana group said on Twitter on Wednesday.

“At this moment, we no longer have access to our safe space and our safety is being threatened,” it said, adding that “a few days ago, traditional leaders threatened to burn down our office but the police did not help”.Foreign diplomats in the country came under fire after some attended the opening of the centre on January 31.

The European Union’s delegation in Ghana tweeted at the time that representatives had “participated in the opening of the new community space”.The LGBTQ group’s director, Alex Donkor, told the AFP news agency that closing the centre was against human rights.

“Ghana is a free country and we expect the president and the security agencies to rather protect us instead of threatening us,” Donkor said.

There was no immediate statement by the police.

But the owner of the property, Asenso Gyambi, said he had reported the group to security agencies.

Gyambi told AFP he was not aware his house was being rented by LGBT+ Rights Ghana.

“I wasn’t happy about it … I had to report it to the security agencies to take action. I won’t tolerate such activities in my property.”Ghana’s minister-designate for gender, children and social protection, Sarah Adwoa Safo, said last week that “the issue of the criminality of LGBT is non-negotiable and our cultural practices also frown on it”.

There is no legislation in Ghana explicitly prohibiting homosexuality, but gay sex is criminalised, with offenders potentially facing up to 25 years in prison.

SOURCE: AFP
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