Wanlov the Kubolor, a musician and advocate for gay rights, attributes the surge in hostility towards LGBT+ individuals in Ghana to colonialism, religion, and poverty.During a recent interview with Graphic Online TV, Wanlov asserted that before the era of colonialism, LGBT+ individuals lived harmoniously within societies.

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He elaborated that the escalation of animosity towards the LGBT+ community in Ghana coincided with a lack of access to fundamental resources and societal necessities among citizens.According to Wanlov, this deprivation, combined with religious doctrines, fostered an environment conducive to homophobia.

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"When I look at the fact that there were no stringent laws, harsh punishments, or anything out there, that is the pre-colonial era, against homosexuality or queer life, I feel like people just coexisted.“What has happened now to us as Ghanaians is that we have been taken to this level of poverty right now. And each of us feels very neglected by the state."Each of us feels very neglected by the places we work.

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We feel like everybody is trying to take advantage, underpay us, and so on. So the average Ghanaian is not getting all the rights guaranteed by the constitution. We don't live with the kind of dignity we are supposed to.“Then this average Ghanaian is being taught by Christianity, by Islam, and by colonial traditional religion that homosexuality is a sin.

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"So when the queer community that is extra oppressed because of this homophobia steps up to say, ‘Okay, can you at least treat us like the average Ghanaian?’ The homophobic community of Ghana is like, ‘How dare you? You are a sinner. You are less of a person than me because I am a better person.

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How dare you ask for rights when this state I live in doesn't guarantee me or doesn't give me the rights that I deserve, even if I am being a good person.' So I feel that that indignation is at play,” he said.Wanlov the Kubolor's remarks contribute to the ongoing discourse concerning the Anti-LGBT+ Bill and its implications for human rights in Ghana.

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About the billAccording to the Anti-LGBT+ Bill, individuals engaged in LGBT+ activities could face imprisonment ranging from six months to three years, while those promoting or sponsoring such activities could be sentenced to three to five years in jail.President Akufo-Addo has postponed his determination on signing the Bill into law, citing a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court.

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However, even if he opts against it, Members of Parliament hold the authority to override the president's decision with a two-thirds majority vote, thereby making the Bill's provisions legally binding.

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