Chief Executive Officer of the African Centre for Security Studies, Paul Boateng, has said that allowing the operations of the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community in the country can have serious security implications.
Explaining how this is possible, he stated that the Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) community will be able to influence the country’s decision through policies and organizations which could ultimately bring the country into turmoil.
He told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show: “We must understand that these things have security implications. This is because if the country decides to go left, with their influence they [the LGBTQI community] could say the country must go right. With the research we do we can tell that many policies and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in this country are usually pushed by this people than the influence that the Government or the people of the country have.
Some District Chief Executives (DCEs) or Government representatives in the rural areas are unable to engage with people in the rural area like how an NGO may do, and with that, the people tend to heed to what the NGO says than what the Government or DCEs will say. So if we allow these things that are against the law to happen it will really worry us”.
Paul Boateng, thus, commended the President and the National Security for the swift move of closing down the LGBTQ+ office opened in Accra.
Background
News circulated that the LGBTQI+ Rights Ghana opened an administrative office in Tesano, a suburb of Accra.
The group organized a fundraiser which was attended by several diplomats including the Australian High Commissioner who pledged to support the group.
Some groups and organizations such as the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values and Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference have demanded for the closure of the recently opened LGBTQI office in the country.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered for the swift closure of the LGBTQI office in the country.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah