I’m against anything that offends our culture and morality – Lawyer Opoku-Boateng

Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate for Nkawkaw, Joyce Opoku-Boateng, has stated she abhors actions that offend the Ghanaian culture and morality but insisted she is against mob action.

In one of her write-ups cited by frontpageghana.com, the Human Rights Lawyer explained there was nowhere in her interview with the ‘Starr FM that she expressed support for Lesbians Gays Bisexuals Transgender Queer and Intersexed(LGBTQI) as being circulated on various news portals and social media platforms.

According to her, all these are just propaganda by the elements within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who have nothing to do but spew lies against the ruling government and its members.

Lawyer Opoku-Boateng has been accused of supporting the LGBTQI in an interview she granted to Accra-based private radio station, Starr FM.

Speaking with Starr FM she said, “I’m against homosexuality, lesbianism, pornography, bisexuality and all those slimy things that are an affront to our culture and morality.”

She stated further, “Human rights also means human responsibility and the respect for positive social norms. That is my stand. But you also cannot take a cutlass to cut somebody’s throat because he’s wearing a woman’s dress and you suspect that he is gay.”

Lawyer Opoku-Boateng noted that she has been contributing to discussions on human rights for the past 26 years, and has a clear understanding and appreciation of the rights of all human beings irrespective of their look, habits, gender beliefs and others.

She argued that on the current subject she was taken out of context and as a Ghanaian, who understands and knows that the act is against both religious and traditions, there is no reason she will support this immorality.

“Some people want to destroy my reputation,” she said,

She granted the interview after it became public that some members of the lesbian and gay society have commissioned an office in Tesano, a suburb of Accra.

She said, “A Whiteman who looks down on a Blackman and does things that dehumanizes the Blackman is called a racist. It is wrong to deny any human being his rights to life, to liberty, the freedom of association etc.”

“The gays and lesbians are human beings and therefore are entitled to the fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Constitution to all persons.”

Lawyer Opoku-Boateng said if a gay person commits a crime, which is prohibited by the Criminal Act, he or she must be prosecuted in accordance with the law, which she supports but quickly added that it will also be wrong for anybody to pounce on a person who professes to be gay, merely because he admits to being gay.

“If they are caught engaging in unnatural carnal knowledge or other criminal acts that are in violation of the law then they should be arrested by the police and prosecuted,” she noted.

“I condemn mob action against anyone including gay people. It doesn’t mean that I endorse homosexuality. Far from it, she added.

The act, which is an affront to the Ghanaian culture and morality has received many bashings from the general public for the past days after commissioning of the office.

Some even called on President Akufo-Addo to declare his stand on the issue.

Meanwhile, the President on Sunday ordered the LBGTQI office to be closed down with immediate effect.

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Frontpageghana.com/Ghana