Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, France’s state minister for development, francophonie, and international partnerships, has reiterated her call for the defense of the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.
She vowed to continue fighting for the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, and queer people no matter where she is, while speaking at a press conference in Accra on Monday, April 3.
Zacharopoulou stressed the significance of making sure that members of the LGBTQ+ community are not subjected to discrimination and that their rights are upheld throughout the conference.
She pledged to continue fighting for LGBTQ+ rights wherever she goes and reaffirmed her steadfast commitment to advancing equality and respect for diversity.
The protection of these people’s rights, according to Zacharopoulou, who is currently on an official visit to Ghana, is a fundamental principle of both France and the European Union at large.
“In my country and in the European Union, we promote human rights and of course in my Ministry, we have an ambassador to promote LGBT rights, so what I can say is that these are our values.
“… and wherever I go in Africa, I will continue to say that we have to respect all of us, the LGBT community, this is a question of human rights and I always say that,” she said in a report by local media.
She is the latest visiting politician to make pronouncements on same-sex relations at a time Ghana is nearing the passage of an anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
Last week, US Vice President Kamala Harris made similar comments about LGBTQ+ rights being human rights. She made the comments at a joint press conference with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of her three-day official trip that brought her to Ghana and onwards to Tanzania and Zambia.
Currently, over 30 African countries have bans against same-sex relations, with presidents of Kenya and Uganda and other top politicians in both countries stating open opposition to the orientation.
Ghana’s bill, if passed into law, would outlaw all forms of support for the LGBTQI+ community and propose jail terms for individuals who engage in same-sex relations.
Africanews
