Ghana LGBTQ+ activists see church blessings as distant luxury

2024-02-07T080346Z_1750284673_RC2BK5A26YEP_RTRMADP_3_GHANA-LGBT

A theme message for the new year is displayed inside a Catholic church in Accra, Ghana on January 18, 2024. PHOTO | REUTERS

In a country where religious leaders openly condemn homosexuality and gay sex is punishable with jail time, Ghanaian couple Kay and Naa Shika fear more for their lives and safety than whether a church will bless their same-sex union.

They have lived together for eight months, hiding their relationship by pretending to be sisters, even as they face gossip that risks spilling into hostility due to suspicions about their sexual orientation.