Help Lesbian Ghanaian Woman Escape Danger
Donation protected
Hi people, My name is Yiko, a masculine presenting lesbian living in Ghana. Being raised in a Christian home by a strict father in a conservative and religious country had me suppressing my authentic self (gender expression and sexuality) and also praying away my sexuality because I was conditioned to believe it is a sin. Ghana also has a vague colonial law that is used to imprison homosexuals. Growing up I never knew any LGBTQ+ Community members until 2017. In 2017, I met and made friends who are just like me but they had done a lot of work to accept themselves so they could affirm me
.
Gradually, I also did the work of accepting and affirming myself even though I was closeted. (I am still closeted though). It was amazing having a community but it was also emotionally and physically exhausting to exist outside of your small community. Later that year, I was outed because I became more visible on social media and in certain spaces.
My Christian family was disappointed, they took me to conversion therapy for a month. I eventually got fed up and decided to commit suicide but I failed, so I decided to endure the stay at the conversion camp until I was sent back home. I left home after some months (was homeless for a while though).
Now we are in 2021 and violence against the LGBTQ+ community is surging because a community centre was opened to shelter homeless LGBTQ+ community members. My mental and physical health has been bad because I am always anxious.
I can not even love this country again because everyone wants me and everyone like me dead. I need help with some resources to migrate to a safer country where I can go to school, work and live with less fear.
.
Gradually, I also did the work of accepting and affirming myself even though I was closeted. (I am still closeted though). It was amazing having a community but it was also emotionally and physically exhausting to exist outside of your small community. Later that year, I was outed because I became more visible on social media and in certain spaces.
My Christian family was disappointed, they took me to conversion therapy for a month. I eventually got fed up and decided to commit suicide but I failed, so I decided to endure the stay at the conversion camp until I was sent back home. I left home after some months (was homeless for a while though).
Now we are in 2021 and violence against the LGBTQ+ community is surging because a community centre was opened to shelter homeless LGBTQ+ community members. My mental and physical health has been bad because I am always anxious.
I can not even love this country again because everyone wants me and everyone like me dead. I need help with some resources to migrate to a safer country where I can go to school, work and live with less fear.
Organizer
Daniel Lismore
Organizer
