Margaret Ansei, alias Magoo, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications team has used American Vice President Kamala Harris’ marriage as a good reason Ghanaians reject same-sex relationships.
She holds that it is instructive that the US VP arrived in Ghana for her three-day visit with her husband who happens to be a man even though she believes same-sex marriages are issues of human rights.
Kamala Harris is married to Douglas Emhoff, who accompanied her on her African trip which started in Ghana and is currently in Tanzania. Zambia is their final stop before returning to Washington.
“For the three nights that she came here, she was in the hands of her husband, a man, for the three nights that she spent her. So, I was like, are we to listen to what she is saying or we are to watch what she is doing?
“Is it cognitive dissonance or what? You came with your husband just for three nights. She understood how important it is to be in the hands of a man as a woman for the three nights,” the one-time District Chief Executive stated on TV3 (March 30).
On the issue of whether LGBTQ+ issues were human rights as espoused by Harris, Magoo said, “we are a sovereign country, we have our own rights, it is unfortunate our president (Akufo-Addo) was not bold enough as his predecessors,” she stated.
Responding to a question at Jubilee House, in Accra, on Monday, March 27, Kamala Harris said that for her, the LGBTQ+ issue was one that bordered on human rights.
She added that every person has the right to live as s/he wants.
“Let me be clear about where we stand. First of all, for the American press who are here, you know that a great deal of work in my career has been to address human rights issues, equality issues across the board including those related to the LGBT community.
“And I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting and fighting for equality among all people and that all people be treated equally.
“I will also say that this is an issue that we consider and I consider to be a human rights issue and that will not change,” she stressed.
President Akufo-Addo also had a bite at the subject during their joint press conference at the presidency. He spoke to the current anti-LGBTQ law before parliament and assured that government had through the Attorney General made significant input into the legislation.
He said that the anti-LGBT bill, which was championed by “only a hand full of MPs”, is currently being considered by Parliament.
Akufo-Addo added that even if the bill is passed, it will still have to be ratified by him.
The two leaders made these remarks while addressing the press after having bilateral talks at the Jubilee House as part of Kamala Harris's 3-day visit to Ghana.
The three nights that US Vice President, Kamala Harris spent here, she was in the arms of her husband because she understood how important it is to be in the arms of a man - Margaret Ansei on the LGBTQ+ rights #TV3NewDay pic.twitter.com/9Il0iAiOGS
— #TV3GH (@tv3_ghana) March 30, 2023
Watch the remarks of the two leaders in the video below: