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Cardinal Peter Turkson: It’s time to understand homosexuality
Homosexuality should not be a criminal offence and people should be helped to understand the issue better, Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson has told the BBC.
Cardinal Turkson’s comments come as Ghana’s parliament discusses a bill imposing harsh penalties on LGBT people.
His views are at odds with Roman Catholic bishops in Ghana, who say homosexuality is “despicable”.
Last month, Pope Francis suggested he would be open to having the Catholic Church bless same-sex couples.
He added, however, that the Church still considered same-sex relationships “objectively sinful” and would not recognise same-sex marriage.
In July, Ghanaian MPs backed measures in a proposed bill, which has still not completed its passage through parliament, that would make identifying as LGBT punishable with a three-year prison sentence. People who campaign for LGBT rights could also face up to 10 years in jail.
Gay sex is already against the law and carries a three-year prison sentence.
In their statement in August, along with other leading Christian groups in the country, the Ghanaian bishops also said that Western countries should “stop the incessant attempts to impose unacceptable foreign cultural values on us”, the Catholic Herald newspaper reported.
Cardinal Turkson, who has at times been regarded as a future candidate to become pope, told the BBC’s HARDtalk programme that “LGBT people may not be criminalised because they’ve committed no crime”.
“It’s time to begin education, to help people understand what this reality, this phenomenon is. We need a lot of education to get people to… make a distinction between what is crime and what is not, ” he said.
The cardinal referred to the fact that in one of Ghana’s languages, Akan, there is an expression “men who act like women and women who act like men”. He argued that this was an indication that homosexuality was not an imposition from outside.
“If culturally we had expressions…it just means that it’s not completely alien to the Ghanaian society.”
Nevertheless, Cardinal Turkson said he thought that what had led to the current efforts to pass strict anti-gay measures in several African countries were “attempts to link some foreign donations and grants to certain positions… in the name of freedom, in the name of respect for rights”.
“Neither should this position also become… something to be imposed on cultures which are not yet ready to accept stuff like that.”
In May, Uganda’s parliament approved a law that proposes life imprisonment for anyone convicted of homosexuality, and the death penalty for so-called aggravated cases, which include having gay sex with someone below the age of 18 or where someone becomes infected with a life-long illness such as HIV.
In August, the World Bank halted new loans to Uganda because of the measure and in October President Joe Biden said the US would be removing the country from a preferential trading arrangement because of “gross violations of internationally recognised human rights”.
Cardinal Turkson became the first-ever Ghanaian cardinal in 2003 when he was appointed by Pope John Paul II. He is now chancellor of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
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ASWIM lauds Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
The Association of Women in the Media, (ASWIM) has congratulated Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang on her historic achievement as Ghana’s first female Vice President.
The association said her trailblazing journey with sterling accomplishments from academia to politics, is undoubtedly, a vivid inspiration to countless women and girls across Ghana and Africa.
This was contained in a statement signed by its president, Mrs Mavis Kitcher, and copied to The Spectator on Tuesday in Accra.
“ASWIM celebrates your remarkable career, marked by numerous firsts, including the first female Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, (UCC), and the first female to hold a professional chair in Ghana, (UCC),” the statement said.
It said the accomplishments of Prof Opoku- Agyemang were clear testament to the brilliance, resilience and resourceful nature of the complete beautiful African woman.
“As she takes on this new role, ASWIM proudly lauds her commitment to education, women’s empowerment, distinguished public service and patriotism and is very confident that her pursuit of excellence, love for humanity, humility, decency, modesty and commitment to the welfare of the vulnerable will characterise Ghana’s political leadership and public service,” the statement added.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
Entertainment
Demolition of Fantasy Dome unfair — Mark Okraku-Mantey
Months after the Fantasy Dome was dismantled to make way for construction at the Ghana International Trade Fair site, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Mark Okraku-Mantey, has expressed concern over the manner the facility was destroyed.
In an interview on Daybreak Hitz with Andy Dosty, Mr Okraku-Mantey criticised the handling of the dome’s dismantling, suggesting that it could have been done without causing damage.
“I don’t think that leadership gave instructions that they should do what happened. The structure was a prefab but I hear the people destroyed it. That one, we cannot defend it. It is unfair to him (owner). Sometimes, you give instructions and people will go and do things that will make you look bad,” he stated.
When asked about any punitive measure against the workers responsible for the destruction, Mr Okraku-Mantey clarified that the Trade Fair does not fall under his ministry.
He said he had previously contacted the owner, Leslie Quaynor, to discuss relocating the dome, and even suggested the National Museum as a potential site, though it was too small.
The demolition of the 20,000-seater Fantasy Dome occurred on March 16, 2024.
According to Dr Agnes Adu, CEO of the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited, the action was taken after multiple notices were given to Quaynor to vacate the premises for redevelopment, as per their tenancy agreement.
Dr Adu noted that all previous tenants had complied except for the Fantasy Dome.
Quaynor, in an interview with JoyNews, confirmed that his lease had ended, and was in the process of relocating the dome.
He had requested an extension, which was denied, leading him to seek a writ and an injunction from an Accra High Court to halt the demolition.
Despite this, the demolition proceeded, causing significant damage to the structure.
Quaynor described the incident as a major setback, not only for his business but also for the entertainment industry, which relies on venues like the Fantasy Dome.
