GJA president defends anti-gay stance

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Created on Friday, 07 June 2013 00:00

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GJA president defends anti-gay stance

The president of the Ghana Journalists Association has spoken in an unequivocal term, defending directive to journalists to take up an anti gay posture when they report on issues of homosexuality.

Mr Affail Monney told Joy News’ Anny Osabutey that the directive was to reecho a position taken by the late former President Atta Mills, and affirmed by the sitting President, John Dramani Mahama.

According to him, journalists cannot go contrary to what has been proffered by the chief executive of the nation and has had a popular acclamation from the general public.

The act is also illegal, the GJA president maintained.

Furthermore, the directive, Mr Affail Monney said, is supposedly borne out of the Association’s decision to lead a moral crusade against the practice in the country.

In Ghana the practice is frowned upon but the laws on homosexuality is not explicit.

“Professionally we should not be seen to be working outside the law or contrary to the law… it is an offence to have unnatural carnal knowledge… it is rooted in morality, it is rooted in legality,” he opined.

One of the reasons the GJA president also advanced for the directive was that, the media does not have to take a posture of neutrality as far as right and wrong are concerned in this issue.

But some editors Joy News spoke to have questioned the directive with one saying it is ill-timed.

From: Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com