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Safeguarding LGBTQ+ people in Ghana: Interview with Joskine Atsuvia, human rights activist

July 28, 2025

Ghanaian lawmakers are attempting to pass the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, 2024, an anti-LGBTQ+ bill that would criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and disband queer organizations in the country. Solomon Joskine Kwashie Atsuvia, a queer Ghanaian activist working in human rights and HIV advocacy, shared his experiences of facing online abuse, threats, and blackmail due to his sexuality. In a comprehensive interview, Atsuvia described specific incidents where he was doxed and received death threats, forcing him to relocate temporarily, while noting that reporting mechanisms often provide inadequate protection for LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana.

Who is affected

  • LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana
  • People living with HIV (PLHIV)
  • Sex workers and other marginalized communities
  • Human rights defenders and queer activists like Solomon Atsuvia
  • Organizations supporting LGBTQ+ rights, such as Rightify Ghana

What action is being taken

  • Some civil society organizations like Rightify Ghana and Amnesty are providing digital safety training for LGBTQ+ Ghanaians and activists
  • Platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok occasionally remove offensive content when reported
  • Atsuvia is serving as a Ghana Community Advisory Team member for the Digital Health and Rights Project to amplify community voices
  • LGBTQ+ individuals are using encrypted platforms and private channels to connect while avoiding surveillance

Why it matters

  • The bill would legitimize systematic discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons in Ghana
  • It emboldens violence, online harassment, and social exclusion of queer individuals
  • Atsuvia and others face frequent online abuse including homophobic slurs, threats of physical harm, and blackmail attempts
  • Many LGBTQ+ individuals are forced to remain hidden or guarded in digital spaces
  • Current reporting mechanisms often expose victims to further victimization
  • Ghana's Cyber Security Act provides little protection for LGBTQ+ survivors of online abuse

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices