Ghanaian LGBT activist unfazed by hateful backlash

Protesters demanding LGBT rights and protections in their home country of Ghana say insults and threats will not stop them from continuing their activism in Winnipeg.

"We are fighting for our rights. No one can ever stop us. We will continue doing what we are doing," said Sulemana Abdulai. "They cannot scare me."

Abdulai, a refugee claimant from Ghana,walked into Manitoba from the U.S. earlier this year toavoid being turned back by border guards at the official port of entry. He has been protesting the criminalization of same-sex relationships and treatment of LGBT people in his birth country during the multiculturalFolkloramafestival in Winnipeg.

• Unofficial 'Ghanaian pavilion' protesting for LGBT rights in front of Folklorama sites

Wearing pink shirts that say "Ghanapavilion" on the front and "LGBTQ equal rights now" on the back, Abdulai and others have created an unofficial Ghanaian pavilion with the sole purpose of raisingawareness of the persecution of people for their sexuality in the West African nation.

They are also collecting signatures for a petition addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau demanding Canada take a larger role in advocating for LGBT people in Ghana. More than 5,000 people have signed already.

"In Ghana you are not safe," Abdulai said. "They don't accept the LGBTQ at all. They are treating them like animals."

While Abdulai said Winnipeggers have been largely very supportive of the protest, he has been threatened and insulted with regards to his advocacy work.

He has been confronted by Ghanaians in Winnipeg who have harassed him and others for defending gay rights, he said.

And aGhanaian news story published Thursday about the protests saw hundreds of negative comments.

"Fire burn u all and ur entire families," one Facebook comment said.

"These are the people ISIS should be beheading every day not innocent Christians," another said.

"Some of them are even saying they will come down and kill us," Abdulaisaid.

He said he was not surprised by the hatred, and it only pushes him to continue to advocate for fellow Ghanaians suffering persecution for their sexuality.

Andin Winnipeg, Abdulai feels protected.

"In Canada you can only talk. You can't do nothing to me," he said.

The Ghananian protestorswill continue to collect signatures for their petition outside the Winnipeg Convention Centre, which hosts some of the Folklorama pavilions, until Saturday.

After Folklorama ends,Abdulaiwill meetwith Queer People of Colour Winnipeg to talk about other ways to continue to pressure the Ghanaian government to decriminalize same-sex relationships and grantequal rights to LGBTpeople.

• Read full coverage of refugees crossing the U.S. border into Manitoba

Ghanaian LGBT activist unfazed by hateful backlash

7 years ago

Duration 1:51

Protesters demanding LGBT rights and protections in their home country of Ghana say insults and threats will not stop them from continuing their activism in Winnipeg.