A Ghanaian media personality is facing condemnation after making violent anti-LGBTQ+ remarks on air, including saying he would kill his own children if they ever came out to him.
Blessed Godsbrain Smart, better known as Captain Smart, made the comments during his Onua Maakye morning show on Onua TV/FM on 25 March. According to Rightify Ghana, his statements included explicit threats directed at both a hypothetical son and daughter.
“As I am sitting here right now, if you are my son and decide to marry a male… I will buy a poisonous substance… and kill you,” he asserted.
He went on to add: “If my daughter says she doesn’t like men… I will beat her to death.”
The remarks reportedly came in response to controversy surrounding Ghana President John Mahama and a cancelled Lincoln University honour, which has drawn renewed attention to his stance on the country’s proposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. Rightify Ghana has described the comments as raising serious ethical and professional concerns.
The LGBTQI+ group said the broadcaster’s statements “clearly raise serious ethical and professional issues, particularly under the standards expected of journalists.”
It added: “The comments, advocating violence and using derogatory language, appear to be in direct conflict with the ethical obligations of responsible journalism, including respect for human dignity, avoidance of harm, and accuracy.”
Rightify Ghana has called on the National Media Commission to intervene, arguing that the case goes to the heart of journalistic standards and the public interest in broadcasting.
The controversy comes at an especially tense moment for LGBTQ+ people in Ghana. Human Rights Watch says parliament formally received the revived Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill on 17 February 2026, while Reuters reported lawmakers reintroduced it in late February after an earlier version expired without presidential assent.
If passed, the bill would significantly widen the scope of criminal penalties. Reuters says it would raise the maximum sentence for same-sex sexual acts from three years to five years and introduce jail terms for the “wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities”. Human Rights Watch says the proposal goes further still, potentially exposing people who identify as LGBT, as well as parents, teachers, journalists, doctors and rights defenders, to prosecution.
Rights groups warn that the legislation would deepen an already hostile climate, further restricting expression, advocacy and support for LGBTQ+ Ghanaians.
