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Safeguarding LGBTQ+ people in Ghana: Interview with Joskine Atsuvia, human rights activist [1]

['Zita Zage']

Date: 2025-07-28

Ghanaian lawmakers are renewing efforts to pass the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, 2024, a controversial, anti-LGBTQ+ bill that criminalizes the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities and disbands all queer organizations in the country. The bill, which was first introduced in February 2024, was reintroduced to Parliament in April 2025. Experts agree it poses a major threat to LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana. In an interview with Global Voices, Joskine Kwashie Atsuvia, a queer Ghanaian man and human rights activist, shared his personal experiences of facing online abuse, harassment, and blackmail due to his sexuality.

Zita Zage(ZZ): Can you tell us about yourself?

Solomon Atsuvia (SA): I am Solomon Joskine Kwashie Atsuvia (with the pronouns he/him), a human rights defender, queer activist, and global health advocate based in Ghana. I work extensively on LGBTQ+ rights, HIV advocacy, and the protection of marginalized communities, including sex workers and PLHIV [people living with HIV]. I currently serve as a Ghana Community Advisory Team (CAT) member for the Digital Health and Rights Project (DHRP), where I help amplify community voices in digital health governance.

ZZ: Why do you see the need to advocate for HIV victims and LGBTQ+ people’s rights?

SA: As a queer man living in a country where LGBTQ+ identities are heavily criminalized, I have faced frequent online abuse, including targeted homophobic slurs, threats of physical harm, and blackmail attempts through doxing and the exposure of my personal information. My professional advocacy work also makes me a visible target for coordinated attacks aiming to silence my voice and intimidate my community. While the digital space has offered some avenues for connection, it often feels unsafe and heavily monitored. Many LGBTQ+ individuals, including myself, rely on encrypted platforms and private channels to connect, fearing state surveillance or outing. The constant threat of being exposed online creates anxiety and forces many of us to remain hidden or guarded in digital spaces that should otherwise offer support and community.

ZZ: Can you describe one of the incidents where you were attacked online? How did it happen?

SA: There is an instance in 2023 where my photos were downloaded and circulated across WhatsApp groups with derogatory captions on my sexuality, including being an LGBTQ+ advocate. I received hate speech, and threatening messages from some unknown contacts including threats of harm and death. I was doxed, my contact and location were shared. I spent days in anxiety, and had to relocate, and stay off online temporarily, as the situation was isolating and terrifying.

ZZ: What did you do after you were attacked?

SA: I have, in line with my profession, reported several cases of online abuse especially to the Meta Team (owners of Facebook, Twitter (X), etc.), and they sometimes respond swiftly where there is sufficient evidence attached to the claims. Other times too, responses from platforms are often delayed or inadequate, while authorities provide little to no protection where evidence is not adduced sufficiently, and sometimes too due to the stigmatized and criminalized status of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana. In some instances, reporting often exposes victims to further victimization, and many choose not to report out of fear.

ZZ: What do you think needs to be done to address this issue of LGBTQ+ people being attacked?

SA: We urgently need stronger digital safety protections that are inclusive of LGBTQ+ realities, including more robust content moderation, privacy safeguards, and rapid response mechanisms on platforms. Offline, decriminalization and legal protections for LGBTQ+ people are essential to ensure that digital safety is not treated separately from human rights. Only when our rights are protected both online and offline can we safely exist, connect, and thrive.

ZZ: The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act has been reintroduced into parliament. If this bill is passed, how will it affect LGBTQ+ people?

SA: The reintroduction of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values (Anti-LGBTQ+) Bill is deeply concerning. It not only legitimizes systemic discrimination against LGBTQ+ persons but also emboldens violence, online harassment, and social exclusion. The bill undermines fundamental human rights and fuels fear, forcing many queer people to live in hiding or face persecution. I believe it is critical for the international community and civil society to continue pushing back against such regressive laws while amplifying the voices of those most affected.

ZZ: So far, what has been done and by whom to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals online?

SA: There is always limited concrete action (from both state and non-state actors) as regards issues of online abuse. Up until now, there used to be limited conversations in the civil society space on issues of digital rights. At Rightify Ghana, we used to provide routine safety and security training including digital safety for grassroot LGBTQI+ Ghanaians, and activists. And I know some queer-led organizations, and a few mainstream human rights organizations like Amnesty do also support the community with digital safety training and education. Rightify has been working with LGBTQ+ activists, and platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, X (Twiiter) and TikTok, to occasionally remove offensive content when reported. However, these responses continue to be largely reactive and inconsistent, with little or no formal national protections or interventions specifically addressing online safety for LGBTQ+ individuals. Ghana's Cyber Security Act has and is doing very little, especially when it comes to protecting LGBTQ+ survivors of online abuse.

ZZ: What more do you think needs to be done to ensure the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals online?

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[1] Url: https://globalvoices.org/2025/07/28/safeguarding-lgbtq-people-in-ghana-interview-with-joskine-atsuvia-human-rights-activist/

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