By Joyce Kantam Kolamong
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, says that though he is not against sanctions under the LGBTQR+ Bill, he is also totally against the abuse of their rights.
According to him, LGBTQR+ are human beings with rights; therefore, any abuse goes against the rights of such persons.
Mr. Bagbin however, said the LGBTQR+ are not rights on their own and that is why countries are passing laws to regulate them.
He said in Ghana, the laws are not adequate in that direction and therefore there is a need to pass legislation on it.
The Speaker of Parliament was speaking at a Press Soiree in Tamale as part of activities to celebrate 30 years of Ghana’s Parliamentary Democracy.
Parliament, under the auspices of the Speaker of the Eighth Parliament, Alban Bagbin celebrates 30 years of uninterrupted Democracy under the Fourth Republic. In view of this, a number of activities have been lined up in four regional zones, beginning with the Northern Zone namely Wa, Tamale, and Bolgatanga.
The activities include Mock Parliament, Public Forum and Peace Walk from the 12th to 17th of June 2023. These activities are aimed at fostering civic engagement and enhancing public awareness of parliamentary democracy.
The press conference afforded the media the opportunity to interact with the Speaker, especially on issues that will promote parliamentary democracy. While narrating how Parliament has journeyed so far to its current state, he acknowledged the importance of the media in shaping public discourse. He answered questions bordering on Parliament, Artificial Intelligence, LGBTQR+ among others.
Mr. Bagbin said Ghana has delayed in the passage of the LGBTQR+ Bill which is very critical, and that is why Parliament has supported a committee to go round the world to discuss the provisions with other parliamentary houses.
Mr. Bagbin indicated that as a Speaker, his work is to support Parliament to make the right decisions stressing that there will be repercussions for future generations if the LGBTQR is allowed.