Prof. Gadzekpo apologises to Ga-Dangme Community
Find the full apology here :
Date: March 6, 2024
Ga-Dangbe mantsemei ké
Mannyemei
Members of the Ga-Dangme Council
Niimei ké Naameil
Apology to the Ga-Dangme Community from Professor Audrey Gadzekpo
My attention has been drawn to a statement by the Graduates and Professionals of Ga-Dangme regarding comments I made on homosexual practices in Ga and Nzema culture when I appeared on the Newsfile program on JOY FM last Saturday, March 2, 2024.
I wish to render my sincere apology to the Ga-Dangme community and all others who may have been offended by what I said. My intent was to draw attention to the tolerance exhibited in some of our cultures at a time of great intolerance where there have been attacks on citizens who are perceived as sexual minorities.
As a human rights advocate, I believe in creating a safer world for all. It was not my intention to suggest in any way that homosexuality was promoted or part of the culture of the Ga, Nzema, or any other culture.
Also, as a researcher, it is gratifying to see scholarly evidence suggesting that long before me and my colleagues started encouraging our society to be compassionate to all, the elders of some communities in Ghana had already started it long time ago.
In these times of heightened animosity and dehumanization of fellow Ghanaians, it is essential to draw inspiration from Ghanaian cultures. For centuries, these cultures have taught their people to be respectful, tolerant, and compassionate toward people they consider different. The larger Ghanaian society must learn this from the Ga-Dangme and Nzema societies.
This is the sense in which I referred to the Ga and Nzema communities. I recognize that in the important, but tense debates going on, some have sought to twist my message and create a different impression.
As someone who grew up and schooled in Accra, but not “indigenous” to Accra, it is the inclusiveness of Ga society and its open-mindedness that has made it possible for people like me and many others to claim this society as own. It is that openness, some of which I found in the literature, that I sought to point to in the context of the panel discussion on the recently passed Bill that seeks to criminalize same-sex relationships, with its far-reaching implications for human rights generally.
I deeply regret any notion that attributes same-sex practices to Ga-Dangme and Nzema cultures as well as any pain that my remarks may have inadvertently caused Ga-Dangme and Nzema communities.
Signed: Professor Audrey Gadzekpo
Read the full apology signed:
Apology to Ga People. 2nd Version
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