On February 23, 2020, a former Metro TV journalist officially revealed to being gay.
He claimed that he denied being gay for many years out of fear of losing his work as a journalist.
"In the past, I had denied that I was gay. "At the time, I was doing Broadcast Journalism in Ghana for a number of years, and being on TV and being expelled brought a lot of anguish to my life," he explained.
Ignatius Annor, a journalist for Euro News, has admitted to being a gay and has rejected his sexuality on numerous occasions throughout the years. He claimed he denied being gay out of fear of jeopardizing his journalism profession. Annor admitted that the question of homosexuality is highly contentious, and that some people who have seen him through the prism of homosexuality and his subsequent denial may find his admission confusing.
"In the past, I had denied the fact that I was gay," he said on Joy News' PM Express. I did it because I was afraid of losing my job.
"At the time, I worked in broadcast journalism in Ghana for several years, and being on TV and being fired caused a lot of anguish in my life."
Ignatius Annor, who said that he is a gay rights activist noted that after studying for his Masters in the UK, he came back to Ghana looking for job but none of the media houses were willing to recruit him "simply because of the stigma that surrounds my community".
"That is the reality that I have accepted, and it is the truth that I shall live by," the former Metro TV journalist added.
He went on to say, "since I was fired as a gay guy, and obviously, I denied because I was frightened of losing my career and also of what would happen to me personally..."
Ignatius Annor further claimed that it does not feel acceptable for somebody to disclose that he is gay and walk freely in Ghana or have access to job or other social amenities which are "dehumanising and horrible".
He went on to say that members of the African Sexual Minority group want to reside in the country as freely as any other heterosexual individual.
"I want Ghanaians to have an open discussion about people who live in your family, people who are your brothers and sisters, and understand that these are human beings who deserve to have the same life you have and... to be free and go about their usual activities."
When asked how his family feels about his admission of being homosexual, Ignatius Annor stated that when he came back from the UK to Ghana in 2017, he had the burning need to inform his family that he was gay but he thought of speaking to his mom first because "she is my only surviving parent".
"She looked me in the eyes and said to me just because, according to her, she was listening to a preacher on the radio talking about how demonic it is to be a man and have love for your fellow man or to be a woman and have love for your fellow woman and so, she was going to pray to cast out that demon away from me," he explained. He noted that hearing it from his mother was difficult, but he knew where she was coming from.
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When asked how his family feels about his admission of being homosexual, Ignatius Annor stated that when he came back from the UK to Ghana in 2017, he had the burning need to inform his family that he was gay but he thought of speaking to his mom first because "she is my only surviving parent".
I remember telling her that she should forget what I said to her. "I said that so she could have the peace she requires, but at 32 years old today, I have lived a life of lies; I have lived a double life, and no human being deserves to do that, and to have accepted that truth and live the freedom that I live today, I am a very content person today," Ignatius Annor continued. He claims that since telling his mother that she should forget that he told her he was gay, they have never discussed his sexuality again. Annor admitted that throughout his denial, he let down his community just because he did not have the courage to own up to the truth and live it and he, therefore, apologised for it.
