FEATURE: Its time to see the Ghana Premier League's first out GAY players - Establishing LGBTQ+ representation in Ghana football

In the Ghana, LGBTQ+ rights have endured a tough ride with almost all societies not willing to entertain their social orientation.

In the Ghana, LGBTQ+ rights have endured a tough ride with almost all societies not willing to entertain their sexual orientation and view them as common criminals.

Ghana, like most African and developing nations in the world, have been practicing Western democracy and hope to build a formidable nation on the tenets and building blocks of freedom enshrined in democracy.

If the founders of modern democracy like the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada are championing the course of freedom and advocating for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) to be accepted into society

Indeed, authorities in the West African nation have failed to legalise and decriminalise homosexuality with parlaimentarian Sam George acting as the lead vocalist in the fight against freedom.

The Ningo-Prampram lawmaker has claimed that an Afrobarometer survey has found out that 93% of Ghanaians would not wish to have LGBTQ+ persons as their neighbours.

Due to this lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people in most areas have remained under the carpet and are afraid to opnely declare their sexual orientation.

The Afrobarometer svurvey findings and its adverse effects against LGBTQ+ people are however true it leaves leaves football players in the Ghanaian league in an unsafe situation about their sexual orientation. But, this doesn't mean they should live and remain in constant fear.

It is an undeniable fact that the Ghanaian democracy is light years behind that of the West. To close gap and probably catch up, we must quickly implement the tenets of their democracy and one of them is to crucially grant freedom to LGBTQ+ people.

In Britain, British sport has a range of LGBTQ+ representation across the overall spectrum. This singular yet powerful action has emboldened the LGBTQ+ community to boldly and freely show themselves in the society.

Sporting personalities like Olympian Tom Daley, boxer Nicola Adams and former Wales international rugby player Gareth Thomas have all openly declared their sexual orientation and they have not suffered any humiliation for it.

But in Ghana, the media afraid to propagte ideas of freedom for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people. This obviously leaves gay footballers to continue to exist in a paradoxical situations. 

In the women's game in Ghana, many years of rumours, speculations and allegations have existed however, not a single female player has been able to muster the courage to declare her sexual orientation publicly because of our naive thinking.

During the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup there were close to 100 players taking part in the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand who are publicly out. That group includes Canada international Quinn, who is the first openly trans non-binary person to play in the tournament.

But despite the many years of rumours and speculations, the many years of reports remain just an allegation. The time is ripe for footballers in Ghana to openly declare their sexual orientation without any fear of stigmatisation.

Obviously there are gay players in Ghana but they have continued to remain under the carpet and afraid to show their face because of how Ghanaians will receive them in society.

The LGBTQ+ community in Ghana must boldly show their face and use footballers in Ghana especially the Ghana Premier League and the Women's Premier League to ignite a campaign for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people.

LGBTQ+ individuals need to navigate their visibility. It's not a perfect world in the Ghanaian women's game either - there will be a lot of players there who don't want to be publicly out, but they may be out within their own dressing-room environments at their clubs.