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What do the U.S. gay marriage votes mean for Ghana?

11/7/2012

8 Comments

 
Picture
I was out at dinner in Tamale the other night, and I was surprised to see our server wearing a shirt printed with the slogan "Love = Love". 

I wondered if he knew what it meant. Most t-shirts purchased in Ghana (and much of Africa) are second-hand, and originate in the U.S. or Europe. The fact that many people are illiterate-- or unfamiliar with American catch-phrases-- can make for some interesting matches between t-shirts and wearers. A friend of mine once saw a very elderly, very traditional man in Kenya sporting a t-shirt with the phrase, "Fuck me, I'm in a Rock Band". 

I decided to ask the server about it. He admitted that he hadn't understood it when he bought it, but he continued to wear it because it was a good quality shirt, even though he was embarrassed about the slogan. We assured him it was a good shirt and we supported the slogan.  

In Ghana, homosexual acts are a crime, at least between males. (The law is vague about whether this applies to females as well.) There is no legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation, and some politicians have urged people to inform on their neighbors if they suspect they are gay. Those arrested for homosexual acts are often subject to police brutality. 

(Ghana's laws have not succeeding in completely stamping out the gay community, at least in the most urban areas. I recently tried to attend Gay Night at a bar in Accra with some friends, but we were turned away at the door for not dressing well enough.) 

Today, four American states (Washington, Minnesota, Maine and Maryland) voted to legalize gay marriage. Wisconsin elected America's first openly gay Senator, Tammy Baldwin. I hope that these outcomes will encourage young people in Ghana to think critically about cultural norms, and to be tolerant of people who fall outside of them. Maybe if America can have a gay Senator, a Ghanaian can consider having a gay neighbor, or even a gay friend.  I look forward to talking with my Ghanaian friends and colleagues about these election outcomes, and why they matter to me. 

(On the downside, although I support decriminalization of marijuana, I'm not looking forward to discussing legalized pot with every wanna-be rasta on Oxford Street...)


8 Comments
Greg Schultz
11/9/2012 01:30:22 am

Correction on your blog. Minnesota was voting to ban gay marriage. It was defeated.
Today, the vote count for proposition 74 was declared to have won approval in Washington, confirming the legislation on allowing for gay marriage.

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5/12/2013 04:54:22 pm

The print on the T-shirt is right. Love = Love, which means there is no other word in the world which is equivalent to love. That is, love is the ultimate word. I also want a t-shirt which is printed like this. Thank you for the nice writing.

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Meet your future spouse. In many arranged marriages, there is usually a time near the wedding when the couple can meet and see one another, normally in the company of a chaperone. Thanks.

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Interesting thoughts.

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I admire the nation those give freedom for gay to marry and live their life according them and without any fear.Nice post!! congrats for their happy married life.

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    About Liz

    I have worked in economic policy and research in Washington, D.C. and Ghana. My husband and I recently moved to Guyana, where I am working for the Ministry of Finance. I like riding motorcycle, outdoor sports, foreign currencies, capybaras, and having opinions. 

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