Ghanaian Afropop artist Sister Derby has voiced her dissatisfaction with the way the LGBT community is often discussed. She contends that many individuals erroneously oversimplify homosexuality, reducing it to a mere “activity” or “lifestyle.”
During an interview with Bryt TV, the artist, known for her song “Uncle Obama,” argued that being gay or queer is a natural aspect of one’s identity and not solely defined by sexual orientation.
“Even the language that we’ve been using is incorrect because it’s not just an activity; these are human beings who exist. But we often make the mistake of narrowing it down to sex. It’s not all about sex.
“We have gay and queer people who haven’t engaged in sexual activity before. So what about them, too? We don’t have to pigeonhole or limit these people to sex, right? When we consider the world’s best and most talented fashion designers, a significant percentage, if not the majority, are queer,” she argued.
In addition, she asserted that Africans’ hatred for LGBT members is prompted by their oppression. According to her, gay people would be respected and celebrated if they were wealthy.
“In our parts of the world, there’s a lot of poverty. So when we encounter queer people, their socioeconomic status is not what we often expect. Already, we are oppressed. We are in a struggling economy. We are suffering. So now, we also want to oppress someone whom people in power are labeling as inferior to us. You are being oppressed when you seek to oppress somebody.
“You can probably agree with me that if every queer person in Ghana were very wealthy, wealthier than even the level of Bobriski, do you think they’d be disrespected and treated this way? You know, money is power,” she stated.
Sister Derby’s remarks contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding the controversial anti-LGBT bill, which has sparked a range of opinions among various stakeholders.
This proposed legislation seeks to formalize human sexual rights and uphold Ghanaian family values, while simultaneously criminalizing LGBTQ+ and associated activities.
The bill was introduced by a coalition of eight Members of Parliament, spearheaded by Samuel Nartey George, an MP affiliated with the NDC and representing Ningo-Prampram.