#lgbtqhistory #protectcivicspace #humanrights #lgbtqghana | Malcolm Montgomery🏳️‍🌈

🕯️On This Day in LGBTQ+ History: February 21 ⚠️ February 21, 2020: Ghana police raid LGBTQ community gathering in Ho On February 21, 2020, Ghanaian police raided a lawful human rights workshop in Ho in the Volta Region, arresting dozens of LGBTQ activists and allies. The gathering had been organized to discuss public health and legal protections. Authorities accused participants of unlawful assembly and detained them for days before releasing them on bail. The raid was widely reported by international media and human rights organizations. It signaled an escalation in hostility toward LGBTQ organizing in Ghana and reflected a broader climate of political rhetoric and legal pressure against LGBTQ visibility. At this moment in history: 🕯️Community members were arrested simply for meeting to discuss rights and health 🕯️Families faced stigma and public exposure following media coverage 🕯️Advocacy organizations scaled back public programming out of safety concerns 🕯️Fear increased among LGBTQ youth who relied on community workshops for support February 21 serves as a context date marking when peaceful assembly and human rights advocacy were treated as criminal acts. The raid highlighted how fragile civic space can become when sexual orientation and gender identity are politicized. Who continues to defend and advocate Locally, organizations such as LGBT+ Rights Ghana and Solace Initiative have continued providing community support, legal referrals, and health outreach despite pressure. The Ghana Center For Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and other civil society actors have defended constitutional rights to assembly and expression. Globally, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Outright International, and ILGA World have monitored developments, issued urgent appeals, and supported Ghanaian activists facing legal and social risk. #LGBTQHistory #ProtectCivicSpace #HumanRights #LGBTQGhana Image Credit: Area 51 Police Station, Ho, Ghana: A.G, a lesbian, was held here for 22 days from May 20, 2021 with four other lesbians after being arbitrarily arrested at a human rights workshop in Ho, Volta region.  © 2021 Wendy Isaack/Human Rights Watch, 15 July 2021 (Johannesburg) – Arbitrary arrests and detention of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Ghana, and a proposed draconian anti-LGBT bill are causing serious economic hardship and psychological stress for LGBT people, Human Rights Watch said today. https://lnkd.in/g5jffNTt