Professor Jeffrey Haynes
By Professor Jeffrey Haynes
The (in)famous photograph of the ‘gay kiss’ at Independence Square has gone viral and occasioned much debate. The photo showed a couple of gay South Africans dressed in red-themed outfits kissing beneath the iconic monument – a national symbol of Ghanaian pride and liberation. Moses Foh-Amoaning, Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, claims that Ghana Police are investigating to confirm if the ‘gay kiss’ photo was physically taken at the Independence Square in Accra. According to Mr Foh-Amoaning, if it was, it would be a case of desecration of a national monument. Desecration is defined as the action of damaging or showing no respect towards something holy or very much respected.
Samuel Nartey George, MP for Ningo-Prampram, Minister of Communications in the Mahama administration, and outspoken anti-LGBTQ+ advocate, issued a statement posted on social media. He described the photo as a “gross affront to Ghanaian cultural values,” calling the individuals involved “useless” and “miscreants.”
While Mr Foh-Amoaning and Mr George were clear in their condemnation of the photo, the kiss drew mixed reactions across social media. Many praised the act as bold and progressive, contrasting with critics, such as Mr Foh-Amoaning and Mr George, who were outraged and demanded a response from the authorities.
Clearly, Independence Square is not ‘holy’ but it is ‘very much respected’. Does a gay couple exchanging a kiss in Independence Square amount to a clear lack of respect for a national monument? Did the gay couple envisage the picture merely as a holiday souvenir, just like people all over the world might take on vacation? Or did they take the photo specifically to disrespect or ‘desecrate’ one of Ghana’s most respected national monuments?
The gay couple, Lue and Rue, explained on Instagram their motives for the photograph and circulating it on social media. They explained that “never in our lives did we think we’d find ourselves in Ghana, doing something so simple and yet so defiant. A few months ago, we came across an article about the Ghanaian government’s attempt to pass an anti-LGBTQIA+ bill. If passed, the bill would mean up to three years in prison for being queer and five for supporting someone who is.”
They went further to explain that they were in Ghana: “to meet hate with love and stand in solidarity with queer Ghanaians. Through the #ShowGhanaLove campaign, we’re confronting the erasure and criminalisation of queer people by love-bombing Ghana’s iconic landmarks of freedom, showing that until queer people are free, no one truly is. ✊🏼🇬🇭🏳️🌈”
Maybe the fears of Lue and Rue about being imprisoned for who you are were exaggerated or misplaced? Or maybe they also fear that if such a bill becomes law in Ghana then self-styled vigilantes might take the law into their own hands to mete out what they regard as appropriate punishment for being gay?
Such fears are not without provenance. An ‘opinion leader’ in the Upper West Region recently issued a threat against the LGBTQI+ community in the region, stating “Pray You Are Never Caught”. Alhaji Sisco, a prominent regional figure known as “The Youth President”, issued the threat during a June 30, 2025, during an interview with Prince Abayema, aka “Yelimenga Naa,” on Wa-based Tungsung Radio. Sisco, who recently returned from performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, threatened, “If you are a lesbian or gay in this region, pray you are never caught and brought to me,” urging individuals to either leave the region, cease their activities, or avoid getting caught.
The interview was conducted by Prince Abayema, a journalist who, since early May 2025, has been actively targeting the LGBTQI+ community in the region through hate speech, public outing, threats, and spreading misinformation and false allegations against perceived members of the community.
Ghana law prohibits inciting hatred against any identifiable group. This offence can be prosecuted as either an indictable offense with a maximum sentence of two years imprisonment or as a summary conviction offence with a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment. There are no minimum sentences in either case. The law makes exceptions for statements of truth, subjects of public debate, and religious doctrine.
It remains to be seen whether Lue and Rue would be liable for prosecution in Ghana. Critics condemn the kiss but it is not clear what law, if any, has been broken. No doubt, Ghana Police will let us know in due course their opinion. Comments by individuals such as Alhaji Sisco and Prince Abayema, on the other hand, may well be in contravention of Ghana’s existing law prohibiting the incitement of hatred against any identifiable group. Presumably, Ghana Police are investigating. It would be interesting to learn what they have to say about the issue.
The writer is an Emeritus Professor of Politics at London Metropolitan University, UK.
About The Author
I sincerely don’t get the essence of this article. Why are we always quick to question the rights of cultures different from our to make certain decisions in line with values, norms and principles that underpin their Cosmovision? Could those young gay lovers have done same at a monument in Saudi Arabia without the fear of public lashing or long term imprisonment?
Until Ghana legislates on LGBTQ rights, such acts are done at the young lovers risk. In our part of the world, I remember years ago when gay activist Peter Tatchell confronted President Mugabe during a visit to London on his ant-gay stance. Peter would recall for years the physical damage to his chin from a blow by Mugabe’s security because he was literally in the President’s face shouting!
I urge caution and tact in actions around this subject. Things cannot be forced.