General News of Tuesday, 26 December 2017
Source: ghanacrusader.com
2017-12-26
Archbishop Charles Palmer Buckle
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Charles PalmerBuckle has reignited the gay debate in the country again.
According to the Archbishop, the president’s response to the legalization of gay in Ghana was apt as the president only emphasized Ghana’s cultural stance.
The president in an interview expressed the optimism that Ghana may legalize homosexuality when there is a strong demand for its legalization.
Answering questions on the international news network, President Akufo- Addo stated that homosexuality isn’t a big problem in Ghana yet when there is a strong demand for change that might happen.
“This is the socio-cultural issue if you like…I don’t believe that in Ghana, so far, a sufficiently strong coalition has emerged which is having that impact on public opinion that will say: ‘Change it [the law], let’s then have a new paradigm in Ghana.”
Juxtaposing Ghana’s situation to that of the England the president stated that “I grew up in England; I went to school as a young boy in England and I grew up at a time in England when homosexuality was banned there, it was illegal and I lived in the period when British politicians thought it was anathema to think about changing the law and suddenly the activities of individuals, of groups, a certain awareness, a certain development grew and grew and grew stronger and it forced a change in law. I believe those are the same processes that will bring about changes in our situation.” He stated
Many civil society groups including the Christian Council who have condemned the practice have called on the president to state the country’s position on homosexuality. However, In support of the President’s response, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra said the 1992 Constitution still considers it illegal so there is no argument about that.
“The President is not God, he cannot say that Ghana will never accept it. He said culturally, it is not an issue that Ghanaians will accept,” Palmer-Buckle told Joy News.
He said both the late President Atta Mills and President Akufo-Addo emphasized were emphatic about the Ghanaian culture in relations to the phenomenon.
He said the Catholic Church believes that homosexuals are also children of God “just like the murderer and heterosexual” and therefore their rights have to be defended.
“I don’t think people listened very carefully to the President before they jumped to a conclusion,” he said.
