Hi,
My name is Fatima and I'm a Campaigns Fellow at All Out, an activist, and a grassroots community organizer in Ghana. In recent years, I've seen the rights of my community taken away by right-wing religious extremists.
I'm here to bring you a warning of what this force of hate is capable of.
At the start of last year, an LGBT+ community center was raided by police and shut down by the government. 21 activists were unlawfully arrested, detained, and abused for 3 weeks. Soon after, Parliament tried to pass an anti-LGBT+ hate bill – the same kind we've seen in other countries as well.
These are not isolated events, but part of a coordinated global attack by right-wing extremists, heavily funded by evangelical religious institutions. It's estimated that in the 10 years between 2008 and 2017, U.S.-based organizations like these funneled over 1 billion dollars overseas to promote their hateful beliefs.
A coordinated global attack on our rights must be answered with a coordinated global defense! That's where you come in.
Thanks to the All Out community, we were able to fight back here in Ghana.
Immediately after the 21 activists were arrested, All Out members donated enough to support their eventual release by covering legal costs, food, and medical supplies. But it didn't stop there – thanks to the public outcry from our global community, all charges were dropped!
But the fight continues. Ghana's anti-LGBT+ law, which would criminalize LGBT+ people and LGBT+ activism with up to 10 years in jail, is still on the table. It's one of the most severe anti-LGBT+ laws to arise in recent history.
It's all under the false guise of LGBT+ people being "non-religious" and "perversions against religion" – ideas actively exported by evangelicals from the U.S.
We've been lifting up the fight of local activists and so far, more than 58,000 All Out members have signed their petition speaking out against the bill.
With your support today, we'll be able to help push this fight to the finish line and continue lifting up the voices of queer Ghanians, religious allies, and religious LGBT+ people who show that love and faith can co-exist beautifully.
Thanks for going All Out,Fatima(she/they)
SOURCES:●︎ 'God Has A New Africa': undercover in a US-led anti-LGBT 'hate movement' – Open Democracy, 11. December 2019● The media disinformation campaign against Ghana's queer community – Open Democracy, 21. March 2022● Why Ghana's LGBTIQ community needs your help – Open Democracy, 22. March 2022● Lighting the Way: a Report for Philanthropy on the Power and Promise of Feminist Movements – Shake The Table, 5. May 2022● Meet the moment: A Call for Progressive Philanthropic Resonse to the Anti-Gender Movement –Global Philanthropy Project, 17. February 2021● Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says gay rights, contraception rulings should be reconsidered after Roe is overturned – CNBC, 26 June 2022● All Out – Help! My Kid Just Came Out – All Out, 17 May 2022● All Out – Listen to Voices of Ghana – All Out, 17 May 2022
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