| dc.description.abstract | On 24th February 2021, a newly established LGBTQ community centre in Accra, the capital city of Ghana was raided and shut down by the Ghana police. This amassed a huge concern from the general public, various media platforms, and the parliament of Ghana. Majority of Ghanaians expressed how this poses a threat to the Ghanaian culture which is intolerant about non heterosexual relationships and therefore called for strict sanctions to ban LGBTQ activities and practices. Consequentially, a bill titled “the promotion of proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values” was presented to the parliament of Ghana. Advocates of LGBTQ raised concerns about how this bill infringes upon their fundamental human rights such as freedom of association and expression, dignity and protection against discrimination. This research investigates the possibilities for LGBTQ persons to fully exercise their fundamental human rights in Ghana, where cultural values are highly emphasised, and examines the potential for finding a middle ground that respects both Ghanaian traditional values and acknowledges the rights of the LGBTQ community. In doing so, this paper adopts the discourse analysis approaching qualitative research to expose how power dynamics and language shape the opinions of Ghanaians. Data is sourced from YouTube interviews, publications from reliable news portals in Ghana and reports from human rights organisations. The works of Chantal Mouffe (2014) on conflictual consensus, together with critical theory by Robert Cox (1981) serve as the theoretical framework guarding this study. These theoretical perspectives contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the LGBTQ dynamics in Ghana while contributing to the development of more inclusive and equitable legal frameworks that better reflect the diverse realities and needs of LGBTQ individuals in Ghana. | |
