Moral Panic, Social Exclusion, and the Human Rights of Same-Sex Partners in Ghana

Abstract

At the core of this chapter is a thematic analysis of media portrayal of same-sex partnership in the Ghanaian public sphere. The chapter ponders how media products affect societal framing and (mis)understanding of homosexual identity and activities. It interrogates the function the Ghanaian media plays in the framing of same-sex activities and the notion (misperception) people have about same-sex partners. The chapter thus situates the exclusion of same-sex partners within the context of mediatization of their sexual lifestyles. What appears as stigmatized and discriminative treatment as well as social exclusion of same-sex partners, the chapter contends, is partly a result of the fear that same-sex lifestyles will lead to the destruction of heterosexual relationship and the eventual disintegration of society.