British Prime Minister, Theresa May has said her government is ready to support and help any Commonwealth nation including Ghana, to remove anti-gay laws.
Addressing the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London on Tuesday said she “deeply regrets†the UK’s role in introducing the anti-gay laws.
She further stated that the UK’s role in introducing anti-gay laws in former colonies such as Ghana seems to have resulted in a “legacy of discrimination, violence and even death,â€, thus the UK government is ready to help such countries rewrite their laws to accommodate gays.
“I’m all too aware that these laws were often put in place by my own country. They were wrong then, and they are wrong now.â€, Theresa may said while addressing the gathering which was attended by Ghana's President Akufo-Addo.
She praised member countries which had recently decriminalized homosexuality adding that “Yet there remains much to do…Nobody should face discrimination and persecution because of who they are or who they love. The UK stands ready to support any Commonwealth nation wanting to reform outdated legislation that makes such discrimination possibleâ€.
Most former colonies of Britain frown against homosexuality and have as part of measures to curtail it, introduced criminal laws against it.
In some extreme cases, citizens in those countries lynch persons suspected to be gays or lesbians.
Colonial-era homophobic laws are still used in 37 of the Commonwealth’s 53 member nations, a Reuters report states.