Wanlov the Kubolor, a musician and homosexual rights activist, has blamed colonialism, religion, and poverty for the growth in anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in Ghana.
In a recent interview with Graphic Online TV, Wanlov asserted that LGBT+ people lived happily in countries before to colonization.
He added that rising hatred for LGBT+ individuals in the country began when residents were denied access to basic resources and social services.
This, he claimed, along with religious beliefs, led to homophobia.
“When I consider that there were no stringent laws, harsh punishments, or anything else in place during the pre-colonial era to prohibit homosexuality or queer life, I believe that people simply coexisted.”
“What has happened to us as Ghanaians is that we have been reduced to this degree of poverty. And everyone of us feels extremely neglected by the state.
“Each of us feels ignored by our workplaces. Everyone seems to be attempting to take advantage of us, underpaying us, and so on. As a result, the typical Ghanaian does not enjoy all of the constitutional rights. We do not live with the dignity that we are expected to.
“Then, Christianity, Islam, and colonial traditional religion teach the typical Ghanaian that homosexuality is a sin.
“So when the LGBT community, which is already oppressed due to homophobia, stands up and says, ‘Okay, can you at least treat us like the ordinary Ghanaian?’ The homophobic community in Ghana says, ‘How could you? You’re a sinner. You are inferior to me because I am a better person. How can you ask for rights when the state in which I live does not guarantee or provide me with the rights that I deserve, even if I am a nice person? So I believe that indignation is at play,” he stated.
Wanlov and Kubolor’s views contribute to the ongoing debate in Ghana over the Anti-LGBT+ Bill and its impact on human rights.
