Rep. Cole Urges Inclusion of LGBTQ+ Community in Presidential Drug Test—Says More Young People Turning Into Women in Liberia

By informerliberia Mar 4, 2024

Bong County District #3 Representative J. Marvin Cole

GBARNGA, BONG COUNTY- Following President Joseph Nyumah Boakai’s declaration of a national emergency on drug abuse, Bong County District #3 Representative J. Marvin Cole has called for a comprehensive approach, suggesting that ‘homosexuality,’ particularly the LGBTQ+ community, should be part of the testing process.

Rep. Cole made the statement when he appeared as a guest on the Voice of Bong Radio which was relayed on several community radio stations on Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Gbarnga, Bong County.

Representative Cole emphasized the negative impact of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community on the younger generation, stating that more young people are dying from said abuse in the Country, adding that the President’s drug test shouldn’t be limited to Kush; a test for ‘gay’ is needed.

Even though, Rep. Cole didn’t give a statistical report regarding the number of people who have died from the effects of LGBTQ in Liberia but underscored the need for tests to be done.

The Bong lawmaker went on to explain that testing for LGBTQ alongside drugs could reveal valuable insights into substance use patterns, adding that said result will prove who is gay and who is taking drugs.

The District #3 Lawmaker said gay activity has affected dozens of young Liberians which poses an existential threat to their future and the country at large.

“More young people are turning into women and that is a problem in our Country, and women are getting disappointed; no hope anymore because if the men are turning into women then that’s a serious problem,” Rep. Cole added.

He said God created human beings, making them be like himself, adding, he created male and female so that both can live together to reproduce not male and male.

Rep. Cole said it would be inconceivable for the Boakai and Koung government to turn a blind eye to the fact that a significant portion of the population is struggling with the negative effects of gaycism in Liberia.

Representative Cole’s statement comes after President Boakai’s commitment during his State of the Nation address to undergo a drug test, along with his Vice President. President Boakai declared, “The drug epidemic, especially the use of ‘KUSH,’ is an existential threat eating away the future of the younger generation in the country.”

As Liberia grapples with the increasing challenges of substance abuse, Rep. Cole’s call for expanded testing brings attention to the broader spectrum of gays potentially affecting public figures and their decision-making.

The Bong County lawmaker made special reference to the Ghanaian parliament passing a tough new bill that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+.

It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.

It is the latest sign of growing opposition to LGBTQ+ rights in the conservative West African nation.

The bill, which had the backing of Ghana’s two major political parties, will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law.

Gay sex is already against the law in Ghana – it carries a three-year prison sentence. By Patrick Stephen Tokpah