On being gay in Ghana - Young men's life experiences

Abstract

In Ghana, individuals who are gay or homosexuals are not likely to disclose their status because of the generally negative attitudes toward homosexual behavior. This general negative attitude has been well documented in the scientific literature. In Ghana, there has been a raging debate on the subject of morality of homosexuality in the mass media for quite a long time. Despite this negative attitude, there are some individuals who have disclosed their status, largely in secret. This paper seeks to discuss the life experiences of nine (9) male university students and the challenges they face due to their sexual orientation. We examine four themes derived from analyses of transcripts of in-depth interviews. The discussion centers on what they believe to have caused their homosexuality, their openness about their sexual orientation, reactions by society and fellow students towards them and the vulnerability they feel due to these reactions. The paper concludes with the thoughts of these gay students on what the university as an entity and Ghana as a whole should do to protect the rights of homosexuals as human beings.