Another point that usually crops up is the issue of our culture, in particular whether or not our culture is known to homosexuality or whether it is an importation from the West. I think under that debate lies a rather loose assumption that homosexuality is unnatural and a behavior created by human beings due to the decadence of society.
That suggestion is misinformed and cheap in that it reduces the issue of human sexuality which is admittedly influenced by some level of environmental consideration(s) and an equal value of biology (nature) to just a proposition that over glorifies the role environment plays. It ignores the complex role that genes play in the determination of human sex.
It forgets that there indeed exist persons who through no fault of theirs are genetically male or female while having and displaying the physical features of another sex. The biology of sexual orientation knows not and respects not the continental boundaries and that is why even in the Vatican, the Pope’s own backyard there exist homosexuals.
Again, recognition must be given to the fact that there exists some anthropological research which shows that there existed homosexuality in Africa prior to the coming of the Europeans and rather than bring it to Africa, it was the Europeans who got so outraged and disgusted by the ‘culture’ they came to meet in Africa.
It should be noted that before the Europeans undertook their unwelcome and uninvited ‘civilization’ of Africa, they had already made illegal homosexuality in their country and carried with it the punitive measures of murderous proportions . It therefore cannot be honestly held in my view that homosexuality is or was a corrupt moral practice that the Europeans brought to Africa.
I refer the reader to the research findings of persons like Stephen Murray, Will Roscoe and E.E. Evans-Pritchard who shows that homosexuality did exist in Africa prior to the arrival of Europeans and Muslim traders from the East and if any corruption of culture has taken place, it has been a dilution of culture based on the influences of these two groups of people.
I also believe that the evidence even from the often loosely interpreted and selectively applied Mosaic Laws suggests that the practice was common in Egypt where the Israelites had been on exile and it’s outlawing was in common with the many other anti-birth control measures that the neo-Israelites led by Moses adopted after their exile in a bid to increase their population.
I also suggest at this stage that most of the religious organizations that have softened their stance on homosexuality, including the Catholics and Anglican church, have done so upon a true and proper interpretation of the Mosaic Code. They have taken into account all the evidence, including the original text of the Mosaic Code, which many doubt as even meaning a ban on homosexuality per se and not sodomy.
The biological evidence which seems each day to expose the involvement of nature in the determination of sexual orientation among many others have all in my view contributed to the position most religious organizations have taken on homosexuality.
My conclusions are simple, both sides in this debate-which is a false debate like I have mentioned earlier -have failed to acknowledge and understand the real issues involved. They have premised their arguments on non-starters and emotions but as they soon find out, non-starters and emotions only borne a lot of hot air but never convinces and that is why more and more of the younger generation of Ghanaians are becoming more open-minded to homosexuality.
Until we treat with some seriousness this discussion on homosexuality, we would go on in cycles, and the seasonal topic that seems to excite so many would become one of the many unresolved topics that confronts our nation.
1. See Sexual Orientation, in Am. Psychol. Ass’n, 7 Encyclopedia of Psychology 260 (A.E. Kazdin ed., 2000); 2 The Corsini Encyclopedia of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences 683 (W.E. Craighead & C.B. Nemeroff eds., 3d ed. 2001); J.C. Gonsiorek & J.D. Weinrich, The Definition and Scope of Sexual Orientation, in Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy 1 (J.C. Gonsiorek & J.D. Weinrich eds., 1991).
**The writer is a 21 years old student of the University of Ghana who believes that the nation has missed the point on the discussion of homosexuality. His views do not directly or indirectly approval or disapprove of homosexuality but points out the absurdity of the points raised.
“Those who believe it [Homosexuality] shouldn’t be legalized rely largely on culture and religion to communicate their disgust for the practice.”
What else is there to rely on? As if Culture and our Religions are not who we are! This writer is disillusioned by trying to separate the culture and 7 religion from the people.
Culture and our religious institutions are who we are – without them, we are nothing. So it behooves us to judge ourselves by our own standards and our own principles – i.e our culture, mores, taboos, and religious principles.
That is not to say we condemn anything [like homosexuality]. But our culture gives us the lense to looking into the world and its myriad issues. We need to tackle homosexuality from our perspectives as Ghanaians and as Africans! and only then, can we improve, advance as a people.