Why do we still need Pride events? The answer is clear: the LGBTQ+ community continues to face discrimination, prejudice, and violence across the globe. I remain in a state of shock, anger, and sadness over Ghana's recent bill in West Africa, which explicitly criminalizes anyone identifying as LGBTQ+. This law includes draconian punishments—three to five years of imprisonment for advocacy or support, and up to ten years for same-sex marriage. God help anyone sent to those overcrowded, single-sex prisons. Life for a gay man there would be vile, if they even survive. This law doesn't just restrict freedom of expression; it incites violence, fueling public witch hunts and mob rule.
I know exactly what I'm talking about. As an 80-year-old man, this nightmare brings back a past I thought I had left behind. Decades ago, I was locked up in a mental institution to be 'cured' of being homosexual. Under the law, I was a criminal. I lived in fear of blackmail and of the 'queer-bashers' who hunted us. I lived in constant fear of being found out and having my life destroyed. Make no mistake—homophobia has never truly left us.
It still stalks so many countries, including ours. I was tortured in that institution, desperate to be straight—whatever that means—because fear and society wanted to crush me. When I walked out of that NHS prison, I swore enough was enough. And let's not forget: the man who put me through all of that turned out to be gay himself.
I am not on a mission, and I never have been. I just want to be accepted for who I am, like everyone else in my position. Now, to all the others in this brave, diverse community—the trans people, non-binary people, bisexuals, asexuals, and please forgive me if I have missed anyone—I see you. Believe me, from the bottom of my heart, I see you. I know your struggles, your fears, and your resilience. Each one of you faces your own battles. Every day, this pain and regression touches us all.
I may be just one voice, but I stand with you. To the Ghanaian government, I implore you: pause, reflect, and rethink this draconian law. Compassion, not cruelty, must guide us forward. It could be one of your own children affected. None of us choose to be who we are, and we only get one life. So, to those who moan and ask what the need is for Pride events: I rest my case. God help the Ghanaians.
