“We do not support criminalisation” — Anglican Archbishop says LGBTQ+ people are not new to Ghana and are loved by God The Primate of West Africa and Bishop of Asante-Mampong, the Most Revd Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith, has said the Anglican Church does not support the criminalisation of gay persons, while maintaining the Church’s traditional teaching on sex and gender. Speaking in an interview with the BBC released on August 14, 2026, Archbishop Ben-Smith said LGBTQ+ people have long been part of Ghanaian society and “have never been a problem.” “Our point in our province is very clear: we do not support the criminalisation of gay persons,” he said. He acknowledged that criminalisation is part of Ghana’s current legal framework but stressed that the Church does not support people being criminalised because of their sexual orientation. “We believe that God created male and female, so the Anglican Church is more traditional, if you like. So we hold on to the traditional view,” he said. At the same time, Archbishop Ben-Smith emphasised that LGBTQ+ people are “all children of God” and that “God loves them.” He also pointed to traditional Ghanaian cultural views on same-sex relationships, saying that these have historically been opposed to homosexuality. However, he noted that LGBTQ+ people are not a new phenomenon in Ghana. “The whole concept of people with LGBT people, it's not new here. They have lived in this country for a long time, and we've lived with them. They've never been a problem,” he said. He reiterated that the Anglican Church’s position is clear: while it maintains its traditional teaching, it does not support the criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people.

Uganda Drops Charges Against Two Women Arrested for Kissing Under Anti-Gay Law Two young women known as Wendy and Diana, who were arrested under Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act earlier this year for allegedly kissing, have had the charges against them dropped. Via @Mambaonline mambaonline.com/2026/07/15/u…