I left Ghana to find a safe space – Transgender Angel Maxine

Ghanaian musician and transgender individual, Angel Maxine, has revealed that she relocated to Germany because of the challenges faced by the LGBT+ community in Ghana.

Maxine explained that she found it hard to carry out her daily and professional tasks in the country, prompting the move.

“I had to leave Ghana so I could find a safe space where I could continue to do my work. Being an openly transgender woman in Ghana, it’s a warfare. I couldn’t even walk on the streets, I couldn’t join the public bus, I couldn’t go to certain places; I couldn’t perform at certain places.

“As a musician, I had people who did not want to associate with me because I was a trans woman,” she said in a video shared via social media.

Maxine voiced worries about the safety of the LGBT+ community in Ghana and expressed optimism for a future where gay and transgender individuals can live openly and safely in the country.

“I honestly feel bad for the future of LGBTQ rights in Ghana because as it stands now, we can see that everything going on is political propaganda. I don’t see why we should now have to run away from our country just to feel safe.

“I hope that one day all these things will stop so that queer people can live their lives freely and be open, be happy and be able to also add positively to the society,” she said.

Angel Maxine revealed her concerns at the same time as Ghana’s parliament approved a bill against LGBT+ activities.

The bill bans such activities and imposes punishments, like jail time, for those involved or promoting them.

It’s now waiting for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s decision, which he’s delaying until the Supreme Court decides on two lawsuits questioning the bill’s legality.