A Ghanaian lesbian, Patricia (not her real name), has disclosed that even though society frowns on homosexuality, there are many same-sex relationships in Ghana.
According to her, legalisation of the practice by Ghana’s parliament will be meaningless if there is no state protection for homosexuals against stigmatisation and lynching.
“I think that it is not about the activism, mind you there is a lot of us out there; there is a lot of us and I’m sure you know a couple who you don’t even know are [engaged in homosexualism],” she told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Monday, 27 November.
In the wake of the comments by President Nana Akufo-Addo in a recent interview with Al Jazeera that changing Ghana’s laws to legalise homosexuality is not a matter which is “on the agenda” but “bound to happen”, Patricia was of the view that: “If it is legalised, people will lynch you if you come out [to disclose your sexual orientation]. This is Africa and an African mindset is different, we are not ready to accept a lot of things like that even though things are changing”.
She added: “When we get protection, I mean it is OK. With the security and backing of the state, then we are ready to speak for others just like us, but without that you will come out and the next day someone will stone you”.
Meanwhile, Patricia has indicated that no man has been able to make her reach orgasm ever since she became sexually active, thus her preference for women as sexual partners – the only way she reaches orgasm.
Patricia, who said she has been a bisexual for a long time, now wants to be a full-fledged lesbian and says but for the stigma and illegality of same-sex marriages in Ghana, she would have settled down with her female sweetheart.
She emphasised that having had sexual experiences with both men and women, “I don’t find men naturally attractive anymore”, adding: “Kissing a girl is very different, the lips are really soft. The first time was a bit awkward but I just went with the flow”.
She added that on the aspect of having sex with a woman, she gets “to understand her body more probably because of similarities in the body and knowing where to go and touch and the experience is out of this world”.
“All the time that I was with a man, I didn’t know how to cum and they didn’t know how to do anything with me,” she complained.
For her, she will not engage in any amorous relationship with any man again but rather do “the tomboy thing”.
Patricia, who said her big sister is also engaged in lesbianism in the UK, said her family does not know about the sexual orientation of the two of them, as their mother will be disappointed about the development.
She said she “does not want to hide it anymore but how to go about it publicly is challenging because Africans will not accept us. You can’t even display public affection [with your same-sex partner] because you could get stoned. Even if it is legalized, it is going to take the society a long time to accept you”.
For her, she will prefer travelling outside Ghana to settle in a country where same-sex marriages are accepted and practised without any stigmatisation or discrimination.
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