Photos of a South African g.ay couple, LUE & RUE, ki$$ing at Ghana’s iconic Black Star Square have sparked outrage on social media, not just for the act itself, but for the location—widely regarded as a national monument and high-security zone.

While many Ghanaians have expressed tolerance or indifference toward same-se.x affection in private, the fact that the couple chose such a symbolic public space has stirred strong reactions, with critics calling it disrespectful and provocative.

Some have also taken aim at the government, pointing out the contradiction between the ruling party’s past support for an anti-LGBTQI+ bill and its current silence on the incident.

The couple, currently in Ghana for an advocacy tour, also shared more intimate photos taken at Aburi Gardens.

In a post on Instagram, they wrote:

“Never in our lives did we think we’d find ourselves in Ghana, doing something so simple and yet so defiant.”