Dr. Mohammed Amin Adams, Minister for Finance and Leader of Ghana’s Delegation to the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, stood his ground when talking to CNN Richard Quest. He defended a pending criminal bill in Ghana despite the likely fact that this country would lose up to $3.8 billion in urgently needed foreign aid.
It appears accepting LGBTQ rights is a red line for some African countries that otherwise very much rely on travel and tourism income, as well as foreign assistance.
Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, Niger, Tanzania, and Uganda seemed to be standing firm in their public hate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual, and queer people in their communities. The reason is the fear of God and respect for their unique cultural belief.
Who is CNN Anchor Richard Quest
Richard Austin Questis a British-American journalist and news anchor for CNN International who covers business, aviation, and travel. He is also the editor-at-large of CNN Business and the anchor of Quest Means Business. He is a married gay man.
He shared his debate with Ghanas Finance Minister, the Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adams, on Twitter.
Richard Quest: Totally and Utterly Opposed to a Law Criminalizing LGBTQ in Ghana
Quest is known worldwide for his unique style of interviewing leaders and celebrities in the travel and tourism industry.
He is one of the most desired people to moderate high-level panels, as he did at the UN Sustainability Week in New York. Tourism resilience was an important topic in New York.
Travel and tourism ministers love him. He moderated panels at UN-Tourism, the World Travel Market, and the WTTC Global Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He told the Ghana minister last week that he was totally and utterly opposed to a pending law in Ghana criminalizing LGBTQ.
Quest wanted to know what harm LGBTQ people could do to Ghana.The minister, a supporter of this hate bill, told Richard that this anti-LGBTQ movement in his country would prevail.
About the Ghana Minister of Finance
He has undertaken professional development training at Colombia University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Harvard University in the US.
Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam is the Minister for Finance and a member of the Parliament for Karaga Constituency. Before assuming his role as the Minister for Finance, he served as a Minister of State at the Finance Ministry.
Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam was the deputy minister for energy responsible for the petroleum sector before his appointment with the Ministry of Finance. He was appointed Deputy Regional Minister for the Northern Region in 2005.
Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam has worked extensively on extractive industries and Resource Management as a University lecturer, advisor on Resource Governance, and campaigner for transparency in resource management around the globe.
Hon. Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam was educated at the Northern School of Business from 1988 to 1990. He holds a PhD. in Petroleum Economics from the Centre for Energy, Petroleum & Mineral Law, and Policy (CEPMLP) of the University of Dundee in the UK, specializing in Petroleum fiscal policy in resource–led economies and resource governance. He also has an MPhil (Economics) and B.A (Hons) Economics from the University of Cape Coast. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Certified Economists of Ghana (ICEG).
Tourism Organizations Ignore anti-LGBTQ Agendas.
International travel and tourism leaders, such as UN Tourism , the World Travel and Tourism Council , and many more, failed to speak out against such movements against LGBTQ in Africa.
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili from Georgia focuses on equality in tourism, leaving out equality based on sexual orientation. Affiliated members such as IGLTA were not seen in UN Tourism activities’ “political” focus.
Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, had been echoing the agenda set by UN Tourism, emphasizing the positive impact of women in the sector. Even though WTTC had mentioned the economic potential of LGBTQ travelers before, there had been silence on the African issue, even at their concluded annual summit in Rwanda and the summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the year before.
At the same time, the same organization maintains an extensive agenda on human rights in travel and gender equality, specifically regarding women- perhaps they simply overlooked the estimated 795 Million people belonging to the global LGBTQ community.
WTTC and UN Tourism did not speak out that with such anti-LGBTQ laws, travel to such countries becomes not only a challenge for anyone supporting human rights but also dangerous for some.
A much smaller but growing global initiative, the World Tourism Network was one of the few organizations warning of a boycott against countries that push such a hate agenda.
When this pending bill becomes law, Ghana could potentially lose 35 billion Dollars in foreign aid.
Ghana, Uganda, and Kenya rely on the US inbound tourism market and the African Diaspora in the Americas in many ways.
It appears the Ghana government’s support for this tough stand may not get close to the financial sacrifice Ghana is facing in passing such a law, compared to the suffering it is causing for about 10% of its people, who live in fear and are part of the LGBTQ community in this country.
The minister said they should be fearful like anyone breaking the law.
Anti-LGBT Hate Organizations in the United States
According to PFLAG , there are organizations in the United States with financial support and members who love to travel and are ready to compensate.
PFLAG is the largest organization in the US dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them
Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF): Designate a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center–and founded by some 30 leaders of the Christian Right–ADF is a legal advocacy and training group that has supported the re-criminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ+ adults in the U.S. and criminalization abroad; has defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people abroad; has contended that LGBTQ+ people are more likely to engage in pedophilia; and claims that a “homosexual agenda” will destroy Christianity and society. ADF also works to develop “religious liberty” legislation and case law that will allow the denial of goods and services to LGBTQ people based on religion. Since the election of President Trump, ADF has become one of the most influential groups informing the administration’s attack on LGBTQ+ rights.
Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity (ATCSI): The ATCSI is a new name for an old organization: the National Association for Research and Therapy for Homosexuality (NARTH). NARTH is now billed as an institute within the ATCSI. While the name has changed, the mission–to promote the antiquated view that homosexuality is a mental disorder and to promote the use of reparative therapy–remains the same. This is in spite of the fact that reparative therapy has been declared unethical and dangerous by all major mainstream mental health and medical professional associations.
American College of Pediatricians: This fringe group of medical professionals should not be confused with the mainstream American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP). The latter states that being LGBTQ is a normal aspect of human diversity, while the former espouses solely anti-LGBTQ ideology. The ACP was formed in 2002 in opposition to the AAP’s support of adoption by LGBTQ parents. Recent press releases include “Medical Coalition opposes Comprehensive Sex Education” and “Gender Ideology Harms Children,” demonstrating a continued commitment to anti-LGBTQ beliefs and practices.
American Family Association: The American Family Association (AFA) was originally founded as the National Federation for Decency, and initially focused on pornography and perceived indecency in television programs. Among the “traditional moral values” the organization claims to promote are falsehoods about AIDS as a “gay plague,” furthering the myth that people who are gay were responsible for the Holocaust, that the government is promoting LGBTQ behavior, and that pro-LGBTQ organizations are anti-Christian hate groups. The AFA maintains ties to a number of affiliates that include Agape Press, American Family Radio, and AFA Journal and has often advocated for boycotts of companies supportive of LGBTQ rights, including JC Penney, Disney, K-Mart, and NBC. They also maintain an online presence through One Million Moms, who claim to be fighting to protect children from “indecency” in media.
Americans for Truth about Homosexuality (AFTAH): was founded in 1996 by Peter LaBarbera, who had founded The Lambda Report three years earlier. LaBarbera has also been affiliated with the Family Research Council, Concerned Women for America, and the Illinois Family Institute, which he left in 2006 in order to focus his efforts on AFTAH. His organization also boosts the work of the discredited Family Research Institute. He has compared homosexuality to addiction and has falsely asserted not only that there is “a disproportionate incidence of pedophilia” among gay men but also that a proposed equality bill in California was intended to promote an LGBTQ “lifestyle” to children actively.
Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (CADC): The CADC, founded by Army Gen. William Hollis (retired) and currently run by Rev. Gary Cass, answers seemingly every claim of homophobia with an equal and opposite claim of Christophobia. The group has found “evidence” of anti-Christian bigotry in (in no particular order) LGBTQ service in the military, hate crimes legislation, marriage equality, Islam, and the separation of Church and State.
Christian Communication Network: CCN is a public relations firm run by Gary L. McCullough, who cut his teeth as the press agent for the parents of Terri Schiavo, and for the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. The organization maintains a close relationship with the Family Research Institute (see below), often acting as a clearinghouse for the work of FRI head Paul Cameron. For his part, McCullough has stated that homosexuality is “a destructive behavior.”
Concerned Women for America: Long before Tim LaHaye shot to fame and fortune peddling the Left Behind series of novels, Beverly LaHaye was gaining notoriety in her own right as the founder of Concerned Women for America (CWA). Founded as an anti-feminist group in 1979, CWA would soon branch out to anti-gay activities. Following a familiar trajectory, the organization has equated homosexuality with pedophilia and sexual deviance, attempted to discredit hate crime reporting, and decried supposed recruiting into the “homosexual lifestyle.”
Courage/Encourage: These Roman Catholic support groups follow a template laid down by Exodus and other “Ex-Gay” ministries. Per the Courage website, the group seeks to “ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone,” exhorting its members to forego loving relationships in favor of chastity, service, and frequent mass attendance. Courage’s companion organization, Encourage, is for friends and family members and aims to address “the homosexual condition and embracing a life of chastity.”
Defend the Family: Defend the Family is billed as “a service” of Abiding Truth Ministry, headed by pastor Scott Lively (co-author of The Pink Swastika, a book that insists that the Holocaust was perpetrated by people who were gay). Founded in California and based in Massachusetts, it is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group seeks to “promote and defend the Biblical view of marriage and family” by spreading falsehoods about LGBTQ “recruitment” efforts and a nebulous LGBTQ “agenda,” as well as providing a theological gloss for anti-gay legislation proposed in the United States, Uganda, and elsewhere.
Family Research Institute: Founded in 1987 by psychologist Paul Cameron, the Family Research Institute (FRI) provides “research” that equates homosexuality with rape, pedophilia, and a host of other lesser criminal behaviors to anti-gay groups. Cameron’s findings have been condemned by mainstream scientists, while his ethical violations found him thrown out of the American Psychological Association and condemned by the Nebraska Psychological Association and the American Sociological Association. The group also supports public shaming and criminalization of homosexuality in the United States.
Focus on the Family: Despite moderating its message in recent years, Focus on the Family’s message remains the same in substance. The conservative Christian group still advocates for reparative therapy, still sees homosexuality as a moral evil, and still lobbies hard to bring a fundamentalist viewpoint to the political process and school boards alike.
Liberty Counsel: Founded by husband and wife team Mathew and Anita Staver, Liberty Counsel has filed suit at the state and federal levels to combat marriage equality in Massachusetts and San Francisco, sued in Maryland to put a halt to factual discussion of sexual orientation in the Maryland Board of Education’s sexual education curriculum, and filed amicus briefs in several other anti-LGBTQ cases.
Moms For Liberty (M4L): M4L is an antigovernment organization founded in 2021 by former Florida school board members Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich. Current Sarasota County, Florida, school board member Bridget Ziegler was also a co-founder. She has since left the group, leaving Justice and Descovich at the helm. Moms for Liberty and its nationwide chapters combat what they consider the “woke indoctrination” of children by advocating for book bans in school libraries and endorsing candidates for public office that align with the group’s views. They also use their multiple social media platforms to target teachers and school officials, advocate for the abolition of the Department of Education, advance conspiracy propaganda, and spread hateful imagery and rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community.
National Organization for Marriage: NOM was formed in 2007 by Maggie Gallagher (a conservative columnist) and Robert George (a politics professor at Princeton University and co-author of the “Manhattan Declaration”)to advocate against gay marriage. The organization was a key supporter of California’s notorious Proposition 8. More recently, the organization has tried to appear more moderate, emphasizing that “Gays and Lesbians have a right to live as they choose” while hastening to add that “they don’t have the right to redefine marriage for all of us.” NOM appears to have been energized by the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v Hodges and continues to fundraise on the promise of overturning the Court’s decision.
Parents & Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX): Believed to be a front for the Family Research Council, PFOX deploys questionable science and methods in defense of reparative therapy. For this reason, the organization has drawn fire from the American Psychological Association, from the researcher on one of their foundational papers–who has since disavowed his own research – and from the press, who point out that the ex-gay organization has a suspicious lack of ex-gay members. They have also been barred from events by the National Parent-Teacher Association (NPTA), the AAUW, and PFLAG.
Positive Approaches To Healthy Sexuality (PATH): Recently rebranded from its former name, Positive Alternatives to Homosexuality, PATH calls itself “a non-profit ecumenical coalition of organizations that believe in traditional family values based upon time-honored Biblical principles” and states that its goal is “to promote healthy sexuality and traditional family values, adhering to the sacred covenant of marriage between one man and one woman.” The organization has changed its brand, but not its stripes; it still pursues discredited and profoundly damaging reparative therapy, as evidenced by the company the organization keeps (including several of the organizations mentioned above).
Brutality, Severity, and Injustice in Ghana
The recently approved legislation in Ghana that targets the LGBTQ+ community has faced widespread criticism for its alleged brutality, severity, and injustice.
Ghana, known for its relatively stronger commitment to democracy and human rights compared to authoritarian Uganda, is aligning with Uganda in adopting stricter measures to outlaw homosexuality.
Moreover, Ghana is currently indecisive about the specific legislation supporting this move.
Before 2021, homosexual activity was already deemed illegal in Ghana, a country with deeply religious and conservative values. However, Ghanaian legislators recently introduced the ‘Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill,’ which aims to criminalize not only LGBTQ advocacy but also impose even harsher penalties for same-sex relationships.
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged Ghana to refrain from passing the bill, describing it as deeply unsettling.
Türk stated that the bill expands the range of criminal punishments for LGBTQ+ ( lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual, and queer people) solely based on their identity and poses a threat of criminal consequences for individuals perceived as allies of the LGBTQ+ community.
The African Union (AU) appeared to have no clear stance on the criminalization of homosexuality, perhaps indicating its uncertainty as it balances between public opinion and its professed values.
Another chilling CNN Interview with a Ghana Minister
Another CNN interview from two years ago sets the stage for what will become a reality in Africa.
Surprisingly, comments to this interview seemed to almost all be in favor of the harsh stand Ghana has against what they think is a crime- loving a person of the same gender.