By Monica Hobbs

While growing up in the Bay Area and attending school in Eugene, I have been surrounded by like-minded individuals who shared liberal beliefs and advocated for the same movements as me. However, after starting my internship in Accra, I quickly realized my views were the minority. I’m currently working at the GHOne TV Newsroom. I’m having a great experience, but there are times I’m baffled by our office discussions.

A lot of my coworkers have asked me about my politics and religion. I get the question, “Did you vote for Trump or Biden?” A LOT. I usually respond with, “There’s only one right answer.” One coworker said he liked Trump because he’s very “outspoken” about abortion. I just nodded my head because boy oh boy if he only knew. They consider me the spokesperson for the US, which is ironic since I’m not the biggest American patriot. However, I see it as an opportunity to inform everyone on big issues in my community. One coworker asked how the US and myself felt about immigration. I said, “For me, I’m very understanding. For many Americans, it’s racist. They don’t want outsiders coming in.” He said that was valid since I’m native… I had to give a whole history session on colonization and Native Americans.

Every day, we have a morning meeting at 8 a.m. and then an afternoon meeting right after the 11:30 newscast. We’ll give production reviews and talk about new story ideas. With the anti-LGBTQ bill being proposed, the community is a frequent topic we discuss. For context, the bill would criminalize anyone or any act that associates with the LGBTQ community. The bill has many other extreme aspects, such as banning sex toys and oral/anal sex. Many Ghanaians are very anti-LGBTQ due to religion.

During a meeting, my news editor asked for my opinion on the bill. I said I was very pro-LGBTQ and that the bill was obviously horrible. I also mentioned that the US sets a bad example to the rest of the world with our “don’t say gay” laws. I didn’t even think twice about being straightforward about my beliefs. People in the UO program said I was brave for doing so. I think it’s the bare minimum. I’m not going to hide what’s right just because I’m in a room with people who disagree. After the meeting, a coworker thanked me for speaking out. He’s too scared for his safety to even associate with the community, let alone come out.

I want to be transparent in saying I have a lot of respect for the people I work with. They are truly inspiring people. And not everyone in the newsroom supports the bill. Our general manager goes around the room lecturing people about homophobia and transphobia. She describes the bill as “animalistic and hateful.” I couldn’t have said it a better way. Ultimately, my eyes have opened to how much your environment, belief system and government can influence your political beliefs. Ghanaians heavily value community, so they’re just a product of their environment.