A Liberian religious leader has responded to calls for gay and lesbian people to be treated with respect by threatening to take anyone publicly claiming to be gay to court.

Pastor St Solomon Joah was responding to reports on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia that highlighted that homosexuality was illegal in the African nation.

“I’m prepared to take anyone to court who will publicly announce that he is gay. It means that you want to violate the Constitution of Liberia. I will not allow anyone or group of people to destroy our country,” Pastor Joah told a local newspaper.

Homosexuality is illegal in Liberia and those caught breaking the law can be sentenced to up to a year in prison.

On IDAHOBIT Day members of the LGBT community in Liberia called on the government, opinion leaders, policymakers and development partners to help end violence that occurs to gay and lesbian people.

In years gone by there had been a push to make the penalties for gay sex more extreme but in recent times some politicians have begun to suggest that homosexuality should be decriminalised.

Macdella Cooper, a philanthropist who ran in last year’s Presidential elections in Liberia was one of the candidates who spoke about LGBTI rights.

Cooper said that while it was clear Liberia’s constitution did not allow same-sex marriage, it was not out of the question to decriminalise homosexuality.

“Let’s not forget, we do have a gay and Lesbian community here in Liberia; they are our children. Now it is up to the Church to work on the moral and ethical issue of our people,” she said in 2017.

OIP Staff