Following the closure of an office belonging to members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community in Ashongman, a suburb of Accra, the group members have taken to social media to lament the development.
An official Facebook timeline for the group has seen a number of protest posts, including one that calls on civil society and human rights organizations to come to their defense because they do not feel safe in the country.
“This morning, our office was raided by National Security. A few days ago, traditional leaders threatened to burn down our office but the police did not help. At this moment, we no longer have access to our safe space and our safety is being threatened,” the LGBTQ+ post read.
“We call on all human rights organizations, and allies to speak out against this attack.”
Meanwhile, Alex Kofi Donkor, leader of the LGBTIQ+ movement in Ghana earlier this week told the Reuters Thomson Foundation that the raid on their office effectively closed a safe place for gays.
Earlier in the week, reports apparently sponsored by the Akufo-Addo Jubilee House, had emerged that the President had caused National Security to close down an LGBTQI+ office in Accra.
Word about the supposed LGBTQI office had incensed the public, with the Catholic Bishops Conference, the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council and a host of other organizations demanding a closure of the office.
Yesterday, a group of journalists had communicated plans to demonstrate against the office in Accra but were stood down by the Police which cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a safety issue.
As the pressure piled on the government, National Security located the office at Asongman in Accra and closed it down.
Upon invading the office, there was confirmation that it was indeed an office of the gay movement as it had the colors of the movement and other paraphernalia on display.
The Police has since deployed personnel to guard the place