Ourvoice.or.id. Afrika Barat, The Constitution Review Commission (CRC)  merekomendasikan Mahkamah Agung Ghana untuk  melegalkan homoseksual. Dan saran tersebut telah diadopsi oleh pemerintah Ghana pada tanggal 16 juli 2012 lalu.(CRC, didirikan pada bulan Januari 2010 bertujuan untuk menyusun pandangan publik dan melakukan review konsultatif dari konstitusi )

Menurut laporan Hak Asasi Manusia yang dikeluarkan oleh The US Department pada tahun 2010 mengungkapkan bahwa Ghana merupakan negara di kawasan Afrika yang sangat homofobik, terbukti dengan adanya KUHP 1960 –  Pasal 105, Bab 6, tentang pelanggaran hak seksual  yang menyatakan bahwa pasangan sesama jenis dapat dikenakan sanksi hukum berdasarkan ketentuan yang berlaku.

Lesbian, Gay, biseksual dan Transjender (LGBT) di Ghana tidak hanya menghadapi diskriminasi saja namun juga pelecehan, pemerasan dan bahkan sering menjadi sasaran kekerasan fisik dan seksual selama di rumah tahanan.

Menurut laporan diskriminasi dan data kekerasan yang diterima oleh CRC, maka akan sangat mungkin proposal untuk memberikan pengakuan terhadap LGBT dapat terrealisasikan dengan baik, namun akan mendapatkan tantangan keras oleh sebagian masyarakat, pemimpin suku dan  fundamentalis karena alasan agama, budaya dan moralitas.

CRC sendiri menyatakan bahwa saran tentang pelegalan homoseksual yang direkomendasikan, tidak termasuk pelegalan pernikahan sesama jenis, karena sangat rawan terhadap reaksi negatif.

Tahun 2011 lalu, Ghana bersama dengan negara-negara Afrika lainnya, dipanggil oleh  Sekretaris Jendral  PBB, Ban Ki-Moon, untuk mengakui hak-hak  LGBT.

Perdana Menteri Inggris David Cameron juga menyatakan Inggris akan memotong bantuan ke negara manapun yang tidak mengakui hak-hak gay.

Pada pertemuan puncak Uni Afrika yang diadakan pada bulan febuari 2012, Presiden Ghana John Evans Atta Mills mengatakan : Jika rakyat tidak menginginkan pelegalan homoseksualitas , maka sebagai pemimpin saya juga harus mendengar suara rakyat”.  Ungkap Mills sambil mengerutkan kening.

Walau sudah ada laporan kekerasan dengan data yang diterimanya namun Presiden Ghana tetap bersikukuh membantah bahwa tidak ada diskriminasi dan kekerasan yang terjadi di negaranya.

Sumber : gaystarnews.comThe Constitution Review Commission (CRC) of Ghana has recommended the country’s Supreme Court should rule on whether the country should legalise same-sex acts.

The suggestion was adopted by the country’s government earlier this week (16 July).

Under Ghanaian law, male same-sex sexual activity is illegal. Gay men can also be punished under provisions concerning assault and rape.

The U.S. Department of State’s 2010 Human Rights Report revealed widespread and deeply held homophobic views.

It states: ‘LGBT persons faced widespread discrimination, as well as police harassment and extortion attempts. Gay men in prison often were subjected to sexual and other physical abuse.’

The CRC, created in January 2010 to collate the public’s views and undertake a consultative review of the 1992 constitution, announced over 98% of submissions were received by the commission against LGBT rights.

However, the CRC’s recommendation was not entirely favorable to the majority anti-gay views.

According to the CRC’s report, ‘it is very probable that a proposal to give some recognition to same-sex relationships in Ghana at this stage will be condemned by a large section of the population in the country – mainly on religious and cultural grounds.

‘On the other hand, a suggestion to introduce a provision in the constitution expressly excluding same-sex marriages in Ghana would be clearly seen by many people in the country and outside of it as a reactionary move not worthy of a progressive state’, the CRC report stated.

The CRC recommended to defer a decision to Ghana’s Supreme Court which was adopted by the country’s government’s white paper.

This decision has caused an uproar in Ghana, tribal leaders, including participants of the CRC said they would never accept legalization of homosexuality which they described as uncultured, un-African and un-natural, warning of dissent and even uprising against any such attempt.

Education Director of upper-east Ghana slammed the CRC by saying ‘homosexuality is morally repugnant’ and un-African.

Last year Ghana, along with other African countries, was called upon by Ban Ki-Moon, the UN Secretary General, to recognize the rights of LGBT people.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also suggested the United Kingdom would cut off aid to any country that failed to recognize gay rights.

In response, Ghanaian President John Evans Atta Mills, reiterated the Ghana government’s stance on LGBT rights, during an African Union summit held in February 2012.

He stated: ‘Ghanaian society frowns on homosexuality, if the people’s interest is that we do not legalize homosexuality, I don’t see how any responsible leader can decide to go against the wishes of his people.’

He also denied LGBT people suffer from imprisonment and discrimination.

source : gaystarnews.com