MP Calls for Arrest of South African Gay Couple for Kissing at a Monument in Ghana

By Melanie Nathan, June 28, 2025

Hon. Samuel Nartey George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and Minister for Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, is calling for the arrest of a South African gay couple photographed kissing at Ghana’s iconic Independence Monument. The images, which went viral on social media, have triggered calls for the new anti-LGBT Bill to be hastily made law. The debate over LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana, has heightened , yet again, in the past few months since the re-introduction of what is known as The Family Values Bill. The 2024 Bill was delayed and never signed into law by the prior President Akufo-Addo. It was used as a campaign tool by the newly elected current President Mahama, with the promise that he would sign such legislation. The Bill has now been reintroduced as a Private Member Bill and is going through Parliamentary process.

The legislation, which seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ identities, activities, funding, and advocacy.

Sam George, a vocal advocate for the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, condemned the kissing and photographs as a “disrespect of our culture and values.”

In an angry post on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, Sam George expressed outrage, describing the couple as “useless individuals” and their actions as an “abhorrent disrespect” to Ghana’s national symbols. He urged law enforcement to “identify the two miscreants in the viral photos and apply the full rigours of existing laws on them.”

The photos, featuring a light-skinned man in a red and black suit and a dark-skinned man in a red shirt and leather shorts, were initially shared by Kofi Okyere-Darko (KOD), Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, who later deleted his post amid backlash. However, the images had already spread widely, prompting reactions from anti-LGBTQ+ advocates and political opponents.

Speaking to the media, KOD) has said that the government is going to investigate to find out and deal with anyone who granted permission for the photographs to be taken at the independence monument.

“I have, along with my colleagues in Parliament, re-submitted the Family Values Bill. The values, morals, and innocence of our children MUST be protected,” George stated, reaffirming his unwavering stance against LGBTQ+ activities. He also vowed to push for President John Dramani Mahama to sign the bill into law once it is passed again.

The viral photos, taken at the Black Star Square, a national monument symbolizing Ghana’s independence, have drawn significant outrage on social media. Some users, including political opponents, have used the incident to criticize George and the NDC, while others have supported his call for action, citing cultural and moral concerns. The couple, identified as Rue and Lue, have not publicly responded to the controversy.

As Ghana awaits further developments on the Family Values Bill, the incident at the Independence Monument has intensified debates over cultural values, individual rights, and the role of national symbols.

George’s call for the couple’s arrest, and the very existence of the new Bill, whether passed, enforced, or not, only serves to heighten the current persecution and violence perpetrated against Ghana's LGBTI community, that has caused so many to flee the country.

Note: South Africa is the only country on the Continent where LGBTI people, under specific mention in the Constitution, have full equality. When tourists or foreigners visit a country they should always check in with the human rights defenders in that country to see if their activism and advocacy for LGBT rights will harm versus be useful to the local community.

At the same time this reaction has served to show the world the vicious anti-LGBT response of those in power in Ghana.