Tutu to Christians in Africa: "It is not always popular to do justice, but it is always right."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

In September the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) voted to sever ties with the Presbyterian Church (USA) which now ordains openly lesbian and gay candidates to the ministry. Archbishop Desmond Tutu has written the Presbyterian Church (USA) to encourage them and to help them remember that, "It is not always popular to do justice, but it is always right."

From Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

To Rev. Grayde Parsons, Stated Clerk, Presbyterian Church (USA)

Dear Brother in Christ,

I am writing you with the request that you share these thoughts with my brothers and sisters in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.):

It is incumbent upon all of God’s children to speak out against injustice. It is sometimes equally important to speak in solidarity when justice has been done. For that reason I am writing to affirm my belief that in making room in your constitution for gay and lesbian Christians to be ordained as church leaders, you have accomplished an act of justice.

I realize that among your ecumenical partners, some voices are claiming that you have done the wrong thing, and I know that you rightly value your relationship with Christians in other parts of the world. Sadly, it is not always popular to do justice, but it is always right. People will say that the ones you are now willing to ordain are sinners. I have come to believe, through the reality shared with me by my scientist and medical friends, and confirmed to me by many who are gay, that being gay is not a choice. Like skin color or left-handedness, sexual orientation is just another feature of our diversity as a human family. How wonderful that God has made us with so much diversity, yet all in God’s image! Salvation means being called out of our narrow bonds into a broad place of welcome to all.

You are undoubtedly aware that in some countries the church has been complicit in the legal persecution of lesbians and gays. Individuals are being arrested and jailed simply because they are different in one respect from the majority. By making it possible for those in same-gender relationships to be ordained as pastors, preachers, elders, and deacons, you are being a witness to your ecumenical partners that you believe in the wideness of God’s merciful love.

For freedom Christ has set us free. In Christ we are not bound by old, narrow prejudice, but free to embrace the full humanity of our brothers and sisters in all our glorious differences. May God bless you as you live into this reality, and may you know that there are many Christians in the world who continue to stand by your side.

God bless you.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu (Cape Town, South Africa)

Renogade Bishop in Zimbabwe Uses LGBTI Community to Maintain Power

Using hate to hold onto power

Excommunicated Bishop Nolbert Kunonga, a loyalist of longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe, has been using the visit of Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury, to stigmatise LGBTI persons and maintain his illegitimate control of church assets.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, told more than 15,000 mainstream Anglican worshippers gathered for mass at a city stadium that Anglican worshippers are constantly "tortured by uncertainty and risk of attack" and have endured "mindless and Godless assaults," in the southern African country.

He praised the worshippers for being "active and courageous" amid a bitter dispute between the followers of breakaway Bishop Nolbert Kunonga and mainstream Anglican church worshippers.

Kunonga, a loyalist of longtime ruler President Robert Mugabe, was excommunicated in 2007 by the main Anglican Province of Central Africa and the worldwide head of the church. He was accused of inciting violence in sermons supporting Mugabe's party.

The Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been divided since Kunonga's excommunication. He has taken over the main cathedral, schools and the church's bank accounts...

Meanwhile Sunday, Kunonga and his supporters demonstrated outside Harare's main cathedral against Williams' visit.

Kunonga insists he split from the Anglican church because of its position on gay marriage.

Leaders of the global Anglican Communion have condemned gay relationships as a violation of Scripture. However, the Anglican Communion is loosely organized without one authoritative leader such as a pope, so some individual provinces have decided on their own that they should move toward accepting same-gender unions.

Mugabe is a bitter critic of homosexuality.

Kunonga led the demonstrations Sunday because he said Williams' visit to Zimbabwe is a "crusade for gays."

"This is a demonstration against homosexuality. I told people to come and demonstrate if they wanted," Kunonga said. "Rowan Williams erred by accepting homosexuality and that has broken up the church all over."

See Also:

• Archbishop Of Canterbury Blocked From Entering Church, Radio VOP

Exposing Extortionists and Blackmailers in Nigeria

An Extortionist Exposed
on Lagosheat

A Nigerian task force has been setup to creatively expose extortionists and blackmailers who prey on the LGBTI community online. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) published a report in February documenting how LGBTI persons are often targeted by blackmail and extortion in nations with anti-LGBTI laws and deeply ingrained social stigma.

Extortion and blackmail continue to be weapons used against LGBT communities. Such criminal acts are seen as an occupational hazard by gay men in cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

Now a task force of concerned individuals has set up a new organisation to expose blackmailers and extortionists. They have established a blog www.lagosheat.wordpress.com, which exposes the criminals and their strategies.

The blog is regularly updated and provides safer dating tips for visiting gay people.

The modus operandi of blackmailers and extortionists in Nigeria is generally consistent and often related to online dating. Perpetrators will often steal possessions such as laptops and mobile phones from victims and often get in touch later, promising to return the items in the exchange for money. Sometimes however they take the items and disappear.

The perpetrators rely on fear amongst the victims. Victims of such crimes fear reporting the case to the police as they cannot be sure if it might backfire and that they will end up being arrested for having engaged in homosexual acts.LGBT rights activists have recently argued that blackmail and extortion are exacerbated by the criminalization of same-sex relationships. The vice is most common in countries, where homosexuality is illegal.

The full article at ILGA shares the experience LGBTI persons with blackmail and extortion.

Cary Alen Johnson, IGLHRC's Executive Director, writes that "the tragic reality is that blackmail and extortion are part of the daily lives of many LGBT Africans who are isolated and made vulnerable by homophobic laws and social stigma...The responsibility clearly lies with governments to address these crimes and the underlying social and legal vulnerability of LGBT people."

Mixed Messages by Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) Resulted in Hate Campaign Against LGBTI Persons

The Coalition Against Homophobia in Ghana (CAHG) issued a statement on 4 October challenging the mixed HIV prevention messages of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) that resulted in an intense hate campaign against LGBTI persons in the media. In a 3 June article, GAC called for HIV prevention and treatment interventions around MSM (men who have sex with men) while also encouraging religious leaders, traditional authorities, educationists, parents and NGOs to "reduce the number of young people who are lured into MSM."

The CAHG Press Release (pdf):

Ghana AIDS Commission Statement on Homosexuality Sparks Hate Speeches, Condemnation and Threats from Religious, Traditional and Political Leaders

Accra 4th October, 2011. The Coalition Against Homophobia in Ghana (CAHG) is deeply concerned about a statement issued by the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC), captured by the Daily Guide on Friday 3rd June 2011. This statement was only recently brought to the attention of CAHG members.

The statement was headed “AIDS Commission Monitors Gays”, according to the newspaper, “in reaction to reports of gay activities”. In the statement, Dr. Angela El-Adas, Director General of GAC, said that the MSM (men having sex with men) situation in Ghana was “an issue we cannot run away from”.

The statement subsequently says that “it is important that all hands are on deck to reduce the number of young people who are lured into MSM” and called on “all religious leaders, traditional authorities, educationist, parents and NGOs working with young people to get involved in educating males on the dangers of being involved in sex with other men”.

This was followed by a press conference by a member of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) who is also a member of the Christian Council of Ghana to condemn homosexuals. The press conference allegedly included references to members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) community calling for the de-criminalization of homosexuality in the country – which has not been the case to date. Those in attendance called for everyone to fight against homosexual individuals and groups, plus defeat any member of parliament supportive of homosexuals and homosexuality in the next election.

Following this, traditional leader have also condemned homosexuality and called for arrest of any people who engage in the practice. After President John Evans Atta-Mills made homophobic comments during his nomination acceptance speech in Sunyani, the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, also called for the arrest of all homosexuals in the region.

Even the newly-appointed head of CHRAJ – mandated to protect the Human Rights of all Ghanaians – has recently back-pedaled and distanced herself from an earlier statement that she made which was “misquoted” as calling for de-criminalization of homosexuality. This was a particularly discouraging turn of events for Coalition members.

The coalition believes the statement made by the Ghana AIDS Commission set the stage for the present homophobic attacks against gay and lesbian people who are just trying to live their lives on a daily basis like anyone else. We know of no members of the LGBT community who attempt to lure young people into homosexual behavior. We believe adults having sex with minors is wrong, whether the perpetrator be heterosexual or homosexual. Such behavior must always be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We feel the statement issued by the Ghana Aids Commission has been inflammatory and seriously misunderstood by the general public as giving license to gay-bashing and other forms of discrimination against members of the LGBT community. We call on the GAC to clearly state how its position has evolved on homosexuality in Ghana to give the public and the LGBT community a clear idea on their position. The GAC’s job is to work in all areas of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support; not to derogate or single out any particular population for further stigmatization and discrimination.

Since over 90% of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Ghana to date are heterosexual, it seems particularly inappropriate to be calling on Ghanaian leaders to single out men having sex with men as culprits to be arrested or incarcerated in the midst of this serious epidemic. Because of the HIV/AIDS statistics to date, should the GAC be warning only males and females about the risk of having sex with each other? No, that would be ridiculous.

Rather, GAC should just be educating ALL Ghanaians – male and female of all ages, in all occupations and all religions – about the risk of having unprotected penetrative sex, about having multiple sexual partners and about stigmatizing any of our Ghanaian sisters and brothers, who have all been created equal in the eyes of our Creator.

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For more information, please contact the coalition on coalition.homophobia.gh@gmail.com Or Nii Addo on +233 277 754247

The Coalition Against Homophobia in Ghana (CAHG) issued a Press Release in August to counter ongoing attacks against homosexuals in Ghana in the media.

See Also:

• Human Rights Central to Stopping the Spread of HIV in Ghana, Everywhere
• Ghana's Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) Back Down on LGBTI Human Rights
• Ghana's President Says Government Will Not Decriminalise Homosexuality