I am gay, I did not had the courage to own my truth – former Metro TV Anchor

Former Metro TV news anchor and activists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexuals, Transgender and Queer Individuals (LGBTQI) community Ignatius Annor has finally admitted that he is gay.

The now Africanews journalist who had previously denied his sexuality on the Restoration programme hosted by renowned media practitioner, Stacy Amoateng said  he kept mute and denied his sexuality because he did not had the courage to own up to the truth that he belongs to the LGBTQI community for fear of victimization.

According to him, he was in fear of what might happen to him having witness how LGBTQI’s were treated in the country but most importantly, he did so to protect his job as a media personality.

 “I want to say this on record, I know for some people who are seeing me through this very line it might sound a bit contradictory and that is because in the past I had denied my truth and I had denied the fact that I was gay and I did that because of the fear of losing my career”.

“So this is going to be the very first time that am using your medium to say that not only am I an activist for the right of Africa’s sexual minorities, what you call the LGBT right community but I am gay and that is the truth that I have accepted and that is the truth I live by. Because I was ousted as a gay person and obviously I denied because I was afraid of losing my job. I was working at an incredible television station in Accra and also for the fear of what will happen to me personally,” he added.

Mr Annor made the confession in an interview on JoyNews MP Express on Monday, February 22, 2021 monitored by GhanaPlus.com.

He explained living as an LGBTQI in Ghana was not only painful but also dehumanizing because one could not freely open up about it and have a normal life like any other citizen with rights that ought to be respected and loved.

Scrub laws against LGBTQI in Ghana

Mr Annor called on the country to remove laws which frowns on LGBTQI to enable them live peacefully and contribute their quota to the socio-economic development of the country.

I apologize for letting you down

The LGBTQI advocate, however, apologized to the minority sexual Community in Ghana for letting them down over the years through his denial.

“So I also want to use your medium to say and apologize to the people, my community that I let them down all the years because I did not have the courage to own my truth and live it like someone in the media,” he said.

Source: GhanaPlus.com