At Sekondi in the Western region of Ghana, a 25-year-old man’s life was threatened by his family in the early hours of Saturday, December 10, 2022, over his perceived sexual orientation.
According to the victim (name withheld), he was at work when his aunt called to question him about his sexual orientation.
“My aunt told me that my uncles had a conversation with her to let her know that I am gay and that is the work I do,” he narrated in a telephone interview with Rightify Ghana.
Continuing to detail his misery , he shared that his aunt warned that “you know we are the heirs to the Imamship in this region, so a lot of people look up to us. You will not be the reason why we lose our family image as good Muslims by bringing shame to us. Even if you are our own son, you will be killed as the Qur’an directs us to do to gays.”
He said that he was challenged by his aunt to “swear an oath with the Qur’an by the name of Allah, if I am not gay”; which he refused.
The worried young man believes his life is in danger because his aunt said: “we will not hesitate to put you to death if you are gay. I will not stop them; I will stand and watch since this will bring blessings from Allah to the family for doing what the Qur’an directs us to do to people like you.”
He said he is terrified as his aunt stressed that he will be punished to serve as a deterrent to other gay people and to warn especially those in the Muslim communities.
This incident was reported to Rightify Ghana yesterday, in a follow-up to a distress call from a queer youth organisation the victim volunteers with.
Rightify Ghana 