Campaigners call for gay rights vote in Ghana

Ghana's LGBTQ community is calling for a referendum on the rights of homosexuals in the country.

The group says they can prove there are more gay Ghanaians than thought but most are hiding due to fears of persecution and discrimination.

Homosexual acts are illegal in Ghana, and many religious groups and politicians are vehemently opposed to legalising it.

But speaking to BBC Pidgin, activist Philcollins Agbedanu Kröger accused the parliamentary speaker, Mike Oquaye, of not being “fair” in taking a dogged stance against gay rights.

“Gay and lesbian rights legalisation is not an individual issue, it should be debated in parliament and call for referendum so people can vote.”

The growing pressure from LGBTQ group follows comments by US Ambassador to Ghana Robert Jackson, who revealed Ghana is likely to legalise homosexuality within in a decade.

He said: “Statistics indicate that probably 10% of people are born gay.

"I think there are far more gays in Ghana than Ghanaians realise but because of societal pressure, societal attitude, they keep their sexuality private."