Gay for payBy Mark S. Luckie
The female prostitutes stood outside of the “VIP” door of Chester’s nightclub in Accra with their arms folded. The aqua blue light coming from inside revealed the agitated look on their faces.
David, an immigrant from Liberia, knew VIP was code for “gay only” and sauntered into the club, much to the chagrin of the high-heeled women outside. Dressed in a close-fitting leopard shirt and jeans and doused in a scent reminiscent of fresh-baked cookies, he danced wildly to a midtempo R&B song.
Within minutes, David made eye contact with most of the men in the club and decided who his next customer would be.
Ghanaians are known for their enterprising spirit and using their resources to sustain themselves financially. For some men that means selling the only resource they have—their bodies.
At clubs like Chester’s and places like Labadi Beach, male prostitutes discreetly offer their services to willing gay customers. They perform various sexual services for a price though they may not be gay themselves.
Most charge about 200,000 cedi or roughly 20 bucks for oral sex and more for anal or unprotected sex.
“They can be very romantic and passionate and a lot of fun. But this is a job for them. A job that some are very good at, and others are not so much into anything except the paycheck,” said Steve Wilson of Oakland, who visits Ghana frequently to bring much needed medical supplies to the area.
David, whose mother had long since passed and whose father died two months ago, uses the money he makes to support himself and his education.
“Since my father died I had to get away,” he said. “I came to Ghana to get a fresh start and to find real friends.”
Most Ghanaians are unaware that gay prostitution exists in the country, according to several gay community leaders. Homosexuality is considered “un-African” or a “White man’s practice” that was brought to Ghana by white men or by Ghanaians who lived outside the country and introduced it to Ghana upon their return.
Most gay men and women adamantly refute that theory.
“Many of my gay friends I have chatted to discovered they had feelings for other men long before they ever set eyes on a white man or read about it,” said K. Mensah, a Ghanaian columnist who uses a nom de plume to hide his identity.
“If there is anything that could be attributed to the influence of the white man, then it is the fact that gays and lesbians don’t want to stay in their closet,” Mensah said. “This time they want to come public and be recognized as legitimate members of the society.”
The majority of male partners and customers of Ghanaian gay men are either Ghanaian or black, according to a study of gay men in Ghana authored by researcher Dela Attipoe. Foreigners make up about 37 percent of cases, the majority of whom are white.
The study was commissioned by the West Africa Project to Combat AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in 2004 to determine better ways of curbing sexually transmitted diseases among gay men in around Ghana.
“(Male homosexuality) can therefore not be said to be alien to Ghana and perpetrated by foreigners or Caucasians on Ghanaians,” Attipoe wrote.
The sight of elderly white tourists walking the streets of Ghana with young black men in tow, however, helps foster the misconceptions.
Paunchy and sunburned white men frequent tourist spots like Labadi Beach and Coco Beach to admire the muscular black men who play soccer on the shore. Some enterprising young men who see lustful visitors as a way to make quick money often approach these men with invitations for sex, sometimes pushing aside their own heterosexuality.
A lifeguard at Labadi Beach, who one minute rescued swimmers from the water’s deadly undertow, could be seen the next minute acting as a sort of prostitute waiter, taking orders from white male customers on the beach.
“That’s their beach,” said local salon owner Joyce Antwi, who often sees prostitutes soliciting customers around her shop.
Ghanaian prostitutes are proud, even as they hide out in corners and in streets, Antwi said. However the majority of sex workers are immigrants from Nigeria, most from the war and crime ridden areas of that country. They usually come with no money and no family to look down on them – drawn by Ghana’s good reputation, she said.
Some savvy sex workers have turned to Internet sites like Mygaydar or Faceparty to discreetly advertise their services. Their online profiles differ slightly from those users who are looking for genuine companionship and are distinguishable by their glamorous photos of American porn stars and requests or hints for money and gifts.
“While there are a lot of players, scammers and crooks on Mygaydar and other such sites, I have been of the opinion that these guys are easy to spot,” Wilson said.
About half of Ghanaian men who have been in homosexual relationships have gay sex “for economic reasons,” even though only about one percent regarded themselves as commercial sex workers, according to Attipoe’s study.
Caucasians and foreigners from developed countries are the priority customers for men who have sex purely for economic reasons because of the belief they will pay more, and may be the key to “greener pastures,” the study said.
Insight into Ghana’s gay sex workers also can be gleaned from Weblogs and other Internet sites, where people describe their encounters.An anonymous poster on the online forum Afriboyz boasted corresponding with more than 40 Ghanaian penpals, the majority of who he later discovered were not really gay.
Almost all the men wrote sexually explicit letters, and about half included photos of themselves. After a few letters, the men whom he contacted eventually asked for financial assistance.
“I always write back and say that all I could offer may be some small money to help them with postage,” the poster wrote. “Most of them do not reply.”
“All the guys say in the first letter already that they love you,” wrote another online poster. “In the second or third letter, they asked me for money, which makes me very angry, because I am not a bank. I am not rich and money has nothing to do with friendship! So I stopped the contacts.”
Often these messages of love and solicitation originate from one of the many internet cafes in Ghana. In Achimota, an impoverished suburb of Accra, several men gather around computers to chat with or e-mail potential lovers.
Most are only seeking financial support, but some meet with tourists—or local Ghanaians—solely to rob them for their possessions.
Muggers and thieves prey on gay men because they know the police won't do anything about it, and most victims are too ashamed to report it, said Abraham, a gay university student whose name is changed to protect his identity.
Handsome conmen who are familiar with the law that makes homosexuality illegal in Ghana also demand money not to turn in unsuspecting suitors.
“Most people sleep with the wrong person,” said Prince MacDonald, whose friend was recently arrested for having sex with a man. “They are blackmailed and told pay me or go to the police.”Engaging in homosexual activity is punishable by a minimum of two years in jail, as well as public ridicule and ostracism.
“Being gay here means being responsible,” Abraham said. “You need to have money to defend yourself if something arises.”
David managed to avoid arrest or harassment his first few weeks in Accra. The money he makes is enough for a small apartment and two to three meals a day, but not enough to pay his way out of jail should trouble arise.
“I don’t have anyone else to turn to so all I’m worried about is today,” he said.

Fraudulent & Scammer Profiles
Please Click Here to subscribe to receive notification of Fraudulent Profiles as we learn about them. It is a sad fact that we must deal with people who will try to take advantage of others. Very often, gay men, especially older gay men, can be very susceptible to the advances of someone who appears to "fall in love" with them very quickly. Please, if someone seems to want to be in a relationship within a very short period of time, or if they immediately try to generate sympathy for recent events in their life, BEWARE! If they ask for money, notify me IMMEDIATELY please! This is particularly prevalent with men from Nigeria. They may have a pic in their profile of a white man, and may say they are from the UK or US but in reality they can be straight, non-Christian black men. They try to be what they think you want them to be. If their profile is brief, be cautious that they may not sincerely be seeking their soul mate, but are more likely seeking a "mark", although many have long profiles that have been copied and pasted into many dating websites. If you suspect someone of having a fraudulent profile, check the time of their emails or chat messages and compare with the time zone they claim to be from. Also, do a Google search for their username. Most are listed on many, many dating sites. Check out their profiles on the other sites. If they are listed as a gay man but are seeking women, they are fraudulent. If you have been approached by someone who you believe to be fraudulent, or if someone solicits you, please write to mary@christiangays.com and notify me with the details. Current names to beware of are Adams Williams - same person as Harrison Williams amansharp - amndshar@aol.com - Amanda Sharpe from Iceland ApostleDrDevlin - TheFellowIUPCI@aol.com - Joseph Devlin, - Bishop JB Devlin Jr ahmedy - a.mahmoud91@yahoo.fr - Ahmed Mahmoud bobbygay - bobby_love_16@hotmail.com - Bobby Appiah EF - siredward@earthlink.net ejikes001 - ejikes001@yahoo.com - John Williams ejikejohnson - same person as above Frankie123 - frankabdulla_@jotmail.com or hotmail.com - Frank Abdulla harrwilliams - harrwilliams_01@yahoo.com - Harrison Williams, - Adams Williams heaven4u - kool7027952357@hotmail.com - Temmy Dave ineedltr123 - same person as ejikejohnson, ejikes001, John Williams jude mike - same person as prince 124 - Micheal Simmons - Note mis-spell of "Michael" jwilson3000 - j_nathan2007@yahoo.com - Nathan Wilson or Jonathan Wilson loverboy112 - patrickcook18@yahoo.com - Patrick Cook me4u - m_s4one@hotmail.com - Michael Ross - same person as Tom Turton prince124 - peerlessprince124@yahoo.com - Micheal Simmons PrinceJoseph - Faith7love@aol.com - Joseph Reyes RadicalApostle - ApostolicRadical@aol.com - see above ApostleDrDevlin ryan08 - ryan.whyte@yahoo.com Ryan Whyte - claims to be in Ohio but is in Nigeria samson12 - sagabemu@yahoo.com - Samson Long from Ghana - claims to be lesbian segun_adegboyega - segun_adegboyega@yahoo.com - Segun Adegboyega smithkelly - matk_55@yahoo.com - Smith Kelly or mathew - claims to be in Texas but is in Nigeria tessb1 - tessybr@hotmail.com - Tessy Brown or Tessy Cole - real name Olamide Babade tom_turton - tom_turton@yahoo.com - Tom Turton - same person as Michael Ross, Newcross, London wany - wanitabricks@yahoo.co.uk - Wanita Bricks These people were registered with us at one time but have now been suspended for solicitation, fraudulent information or inappropriate behaviour. Please just keep your wits about you. If you have concerns or suspicions about anyone, please don't hesitate to contact me with details. May God give you wisdom to discern the truth, and the courage to seek your soul mate in this often risky world of the internet. God bless, Mary

e reason the guys' online chat and profiles all sound so similar is because this is a business here. I have been to cafes where there will be 6 or 7 boys all working together on a few computers, each having multiple chats with foreigners. Some are even illiterate and hire typists who bounce from machine to machine answering chat messages. They help each other formulate responses to questions in chats. They cut-and-paste sweet love. Any guy who comes at you with instant love is a faker. Maybe he would be good sex and maybe a fun companion, but who knows what it could be. For these guys to spend a whole month online in a cafe and get just one person to wire $30 is the best employment that many can get here. Gays are regarded as being rich and generous and suckers for needing love, so this has become a booming business here. There have been editorials in newspapers questioning whether Ghana wants to become the Thailand of Africa.

ghana guys r cheats
von lucefer am Do Aug 25, 2005 4:08 pm
Hi just want to mke everyone aware that most Ghana guys r not gay & most r money lover boys.If you dont give them what they want they get angry & very abrupt so plse beware they look for pple who are 40yres & over esply from Europe & white cause they know they can get it their way. Plse becareful cause some of the pics on most sights are stolen from web sites like africboyz thats who i came to find out about this site.there is a syndicate in Ghana that is workg to to chat with ppple they dont knwo but want to get to their pockets. There is a similar problem from Nigeria guys( their looks awesome)but i still cant figure out why they on gay sites when pretty ladies are their for them mkes me wonder? & they have a habit of been most harressing then ever most are TW & looking to relocate to USA or UK & need flight ticket passport or visa money & I cant see why we should visit or fone them when they are looking for us.They all only want to take & take & take but cant give give nothing. they steal email chat id from the cabey cafes & mke frnds for money or 419 schem in the name of the LORD.I have an email of a frnd who visited Ghana & was kidnapped & £1000.00 was taken before he could be set free.it was a real nitemare which he just dont want to discuss..plse this is no disrespect to the geniune blk guys whom i salute that are real honest & careing. Plse theses people need to NAMED & SHAMED.
lucefer

GHANA GAZY MONEY MAKING FACTORIES

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE GHANA MONEY MAKING FACTORIES ENTICING OLDER WESTERN GAY GUYS TO PART WITH THEIR MONEY
DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU HEAR OR SEE:IT IS LIKELY TO BE FAKE:IF ZOU PART WITH YOU MONEY IT IS ZOUR OWN FAULT:SAVE IT AND ENJOY IT: