A global protest has erupted online to condemn the Ghanaian Parliament’s passage of the draconian “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.” In response, a coalition of diaspora members and international allies has launched the “One Star Protest,” a digital campaign to hold the government accountable for its assault on human rights.
The bill, now awaiting presidential assent, institutes a system of state-sponsored persecution. It mandates a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ and up to five years for individuals or organizations that advocate for or provide support to the queer community.
The legislation has put Ghana on a collision course with the global community, threatening a multi-pronged economic catastrophe. A Ghana Ministry of Finance brief reveals the country now risks losing 3.8 billion in World Bank financing and is jeopardizing a crucial 3 billion IMF bailout package. Furthermore, the bill threatens to decimate Ghana’s tourism industry. In Uganda, the passage of a nearly identical law contributed to a catastrophic economic fallout estimated at up to $1.6 billion in the first year alone, as international tourists and business conferences shifted to neighboring countries (Source: Open for Business economic report).
“President Mahama’s government is making a historic mistake that will stain Ghana‘s reputation and isolate it from the world,” said Olive Okoro, founder of Queer Motherland and a spokesperson for the One Star Protest. “The Black Star is a symbol of freedom, not persecution. We will not stand by while that legacy is dismantled. This is not a plea; it is a demand for basic human rights.”
The “One Star Protest” targets Ghana’s iconic national symbols – the Independence Arch and Black Star Square – with one-star reviews to signify that the light of freedom has been extinguished. As reviews are suppressed, the campaign has moved to Instagram, directly tagging the President to ensure the global outcry is seen and heard.
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For more information, to view protest messages, or to join the campaign, please visit:
Campaign Launch Post: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZfotsNi69j/
Petition: https://campaigns.allout.org/ghana-reject-the-anti-lgbt-bill
