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PROTEST: GHANA'S ANTI-LGBT LAWS - AT THE OFFICIAL GHANA 67TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AT ICONIC QUEER DANCE CLUB

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PROTEST ANNOUNCED:

PROTEST GHANA'S ANTI-LGBT LAWS - AT THE GHANA OFFICIAL 67TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AT ICONIC QUEER DANCE CLUB

 

Contacts: National and Global: Melanie Nathan: commissionermnathan@gmail.com Local to Ohio:

Tom Morgan: tb614@aol.com

 

Columbus Ohio’s LGBTQI+ community, allies and human rights and democracy supporters will be protesting at what has been touted as an official 67th Independence Day celebration for GHANA, being held on American soil, at 7.30 PM on Friday March 08, at the FORUM, 144 North Wall Street, Columbus, Ohio, which happens to have been an iconic Columbus Gay Club.

 

Ghana has just passed a new severe and draconian anti-LGBTQ law, the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act,” which threatens the constitutionally protected freedoms of all Ghanaians to include freedom of speech, press, and assembly.  The bill criminalizes with harsh jail terms, any person who simply identifies as LGBTQI+, allies, as well as any friend, family, or member of the community who does not report them. 


The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, has seven days to assent to the law and if he does not it is likely that the private member Bill will still become law due to its over 2/3rd majority vote.

 

The US Department of State notes that it is deeply troubled by the Ghanaian Parliament’s passage of the legislation, stating that “limiting the rights of one group in a society undermines the rights of all.”


Melanie Nathan, Executive Director of African Human Rights Coalition says “America cannot celebrate Ghana’s independence when such a dark cloud looms for so many of our global LGBTQ+ family. It is important to note that this harsh law impacts all Ghanaians. It denigrates Ghana’s established record and values as a free and democratic country.  At this time we are working with many LGBTQ Ghanaians and allies who are fleeing the country in fear for their lives, as such legislation licenses persecution, abuse and violence. We will be at all these events to peacefully express solidarity and condemn the law.”


Tom Morgan, a renowned local LGBTQI+ activist and Ohio State leader for the former GET EQUAL organization, who is helping to organize the protest says that he believes as a “gay guy we should stand up for our community. When an injustice like these travels across the world and into our own backyard, how can we do nothing? Our own backyard being a former queer dance club that many of us loved.”

 

The celebration is taking the form of a concert to be hosted by Ghanaian personality Francis Frempong-Manson, known as Nkosuohene. Performers include Kelvyn Boy, Camidoh, Ofori Amponsah.

 

The celebration festival will travel around the USA to include, Dallas, Texas-  March 08, Worcester, MA - March 15-17th, Newark NJ - March 23-24, Seattle, WA March 30 and Atlanta, GA April 6-7th. The events, other than the one in Ohio, is being organized by Berks Concepts and Affiliates, located in Douglasville, Georgia.

 

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AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION provides country conditions expert testimony, advocacy, humanitarian services, to include safe shelter and relocation resources for LGBTQI+ people in and from African countries who have been forcibly displaced by anti-LGBTQI+ laws and climates that license persecution and violence.


Donations for Ghana's LGBTQI+ Community Safe Shelter HERE


OTHER EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD





LINK TO USA EVENTS BELOW: https://berksconcepts.com/events/















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