Faced with this hostility, the LGBTQ+ community organises to support and defend itself.

"These people are corrupting our children... I would prefer my brother be killed than to dance with men."

Like the young woman making these comments, many Ethiopians have expressed outrage at videos showing men dancing together, some of them dressed in what could be considered feminine clothing.

Captured at a party and posted on the social media platform TikTok in August, these images have sparked a wave of hatred against the LGBTQ+ community in Ethiopia.

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During his flight from South Sudan to Rome, he stated, "God loves people with homosexual tendencies. To condemn them is a sin. Criminalising them is an injustice."

Pope Francis' comments came in response to laws criminalising homosexual acts in some African countries. In 2013, he said, "Who am I to judge someone searching for the Lord who is gay and has good will?" In 2018, he said, "Parents of gay children shouldn't condemn them."

Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury and Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, support Pope Francis' stance. They also joined him on the papal plane from South Sudan back to Rome.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said he would quote Francis' words when the issue is discussed at the Church of England's General Synod. The Church of England has allowed blessings for same-sex civil marriages, but same-sex couples cannot marry in its churches. The Vatican forbids both gay marriage and blessings for same-sex unions.

Welby also told reporters that the issue of criminalisation has been taken up at two previous Lambeth Conferences of the broader Anglican Communion, but it has not changed many people's minds.

The Lambeth Conference has twice opposed criminalisation, but Welby has acknowledged the "deep disagreement" among the provinces over LGBTQ issues.

The Presbyterian moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Iain Greenshields, also participated in the pilgrimage and conference.

Greenshields said, "there is nowhere in my reading of the four Gospels where I see Jesus turning anyone away."

He emphasised that Christians should express love to all people, regardless of circumstances. The Church of Scotland allows same-sex marriages.

However, last month, the bishops of the Church of England decided not to allow same-sex weddings in church.

Pope Francis and the two Christian leaders spoke about LGBTQ rights during the joint airborne news conference. They were returning from South Sudan, where they took part in an ecumenical pilgrimage.

South Sudan is one of 67 countries that criminalise homosexuality, with 11 having the death penalty. LGBTQ advocates say these laws contribute to violence, harassment, and discrimination, even if not enforced.

Sources

Religion News Service

Wall Street Journal

The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill states, "homosexual practices [should be made] illegal in Ghana". The bill purports to criminalize many LGBTQ+ basic freedoms of expression, assembly, and access to information.

"The position of the Catholic Church on LGBTQ+ has remained the same: that, such practices are against not only Christian Values but Muslim and Ghanaian Traditional values as well," Ghana's bishops wrote.

The penalties for violating the bill are severe.

Disseminating information about LGBTQ+ people can result in a five-to-ten-year prison sentence. Groups seeking to advance LGBTQ+ rights can be punished with six to ten years in prison. Funding or sponsoring vaguely defined prohibited activities can result in a five-to-ten-year sentence.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called for the Catholic Church to be more welcoming toward LGBTQ+ people.

In October, a documentary on the Pope's life aired comments supporting same-sex civil unions. Then, during a September visit to Hungary and Slovakia, the Pope commented on the need for the Church to "do pastoral work" with same-sex couples.

Several days later, he remarked on the prospect of same-sex civil unions, saying that "if a homosexual couple wants to lead a life together, the State can give them safety, stability, inheritance."

Even without this bill, Ghanaian laws already create a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people. For example, the 1960 Criminal Offences Act criminalizes same-sex relations. Though rarely enforced, the law fosters a climate of violence and intimidation toward LGBT Ghanaians.

Given this climate of discrimination and instances of violence, the Ghanaian Catholic bishops' call for the "abominable practice [of homosexuality to be] made illegal in our country" seems even more appalling.

Sources

Human Rights Watch

Church Times

New Ways Ministry