ARTS AND IDEAS
Fear and L.G.B.T.Q. rights in Ghana
When the members of the gay rights organization called the Drama Queens want to meet, they first have to identify a secure location and consider hiring security personnel. But they're not alone. Members of dozens of advocacy groups in Ghana live in fear.
Ghana, in West Africa, is generally considered one of Africa's most progressive countries. But for the past year, it has been considering a harsh anti-L.G.B.T.Q. bill.
When the measure was first presented, it was dismissed by many as an effort by opposition politicians to raise their profile. But the legislation, formally known as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, is still alive, and activists say it has fueled a sharp increase in homophobia. There have been reports of police raids and harassment. In June, vandals destroyed L.G.B.T.Q. pride posters in Accra, the capital.
The bill says that any activities promoting gay rights offend traditional values and threaten the concept of family. The country still has a colonial-era law on the books that punishes same-sex relationships, but this proposed legislation would go much further. It would criminalize virtually every aspect of queer culture, from the way people dress to their social gatherings. Allies of L.G.B.T.Q. people could also face criminal charges.
The Drama Queens, formed five years ago, hold workshops on consent and sexual and reproductive rights and have expanded to provide a safe, creative space for women and queer Ghanaians. The organizers put together art exhibitions, film festivals and get-togethers where young people can share their experiences. If Parliament passes the measure, everything they do could become a crime.
Dennis K.F. Agyemang, a co-director of the Drama Queens, denounced the bill, calling it "an imminent threat to organizations and queer safety." — Lynsey Chutel, Briefings writer based in Johannesburg.
https://www.combinedacademic.co.uk/9781478018018/queer-african-cinemas/
this is a publication from lindsey green-simms, a brilliant scholar. i am posting it not because it is so unusual in my world--that of academe--for a book of this sort, and this stature, to be published. it is because on our list this question of queer african cinema was raised as if it were an anomaly. it isn't. it is part of our world, though not without struggle and contention. where a queer african film might be shown on say u.s. campuses without anyone raising an eyebrow, a film like Rafiki incurred great contention in kenya. it was a good and ulltimately controversial film in nairobi; but not in cannes where it was also shown, i believe.
africa is in the midst of a great struggle over gay rights, and i write this only to affirm it is not an invisible or hidden or minor affair these days, as in the past. i can say that i believe its gradual acceptance is inevitable.ken
kenneth harrow
professor emeritus
dept of english
michigan state university
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