by Fernando Gonzales | Sep 24, 2015 | Africa, GNRC Blog
I arrived safely in the city of Accra, Ghana on the 14th of March 2015. The last time I was in Ghana was in 2008 and I still have many friends there. The day after my arrival was Sunday and Mother’s Day, and I went with some friends to mass in Accra. After mass I was...
by Fernando Gonzales | Sep 24, 2015 | Africa, GNRC Blog, Testimony
Arriving in Togo was emotional for me, as this is a place I lived for many years, a place where I experienced much joy and also much sorrow. After settling into a guesthouse, I went to see the place where I was attacked in 2008. It had changed a lot. Lomé, the capital...
by Fernando Gonzales | Sep 24, 2015 | Africa, GNRC Blog
In Benin, I met with three people who identify as transsexuals and are also Christians from different backgrounds. They wanted to be interviewed together. Their words were heartfelt as they told me that all they wanted from the society and the church is acceptance....
by Fernando Gonzales | Sep 24, 2015 | Africa, GNRC Blog
My next journey was to Nigeria, and I had to be extremely careful at this stage of my journey for my own safety and security. It was not easy crossing the border of Benin and Nigeria since the Nigerian Presidential election was coming up in few days time, so security...
by Fernando Gonzales | Sep 24, 2015 | Africa, GNRC Blog
From the many interviews conducted, it has become clear that LGBT people in West Africa have a hard life. They are openly persecuted both by the state and the church and feel abandoned. It is sad to say that many LGBTs are “marginalised and hated in life and...
