By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Parliament of Ghana has passed the bill on Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values known as the anti-Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) bill.
The passage of the Bill by Ghana’s Parliament comes a day after the Board Chair of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, called on President Akufo-Addo to reject the Bill.
Prof. Gadzekpo argued that the bill undermines fundamental human rights protected by the Constitution, including the rights to dignity, freedom of speech and association, procession participation, academic freedom, equality, and non-discrimination.
Speaking at a press conference focused on human rights and a rights-based approach to supporting sexual minorities in Ghana, Prof. Gadzekpo emphasised that upholding rights and freedoms is crucial to constitutional democracy.
She warned that altering these rights could jeopardise Ghana’s democratic principles, highlighting the significance of the issue for all citizens.
But Prof. Gadzekpo’s comments and those of many other people who want to see this all important Bill become a stillborn didn’t have their way, as the gallant Members of Parliament (MPs) have gone ahead to pass the bill into an Act of Parliament.
The bill, as passed into law, proscribes LGBTQ activities and criminalises its promotion, advocacy and funding.
Persons caught in the act would be subjected to a six (6) months to three (3) year jail term, with promoters and sponsors of the act bearing a three (3) to five (5 )year jail term.
The Bill will now require presidential assent to come into force. President Nana Akufo-Addo has not confirmed if he will sign the bill into law.
Ahead of the passage, sponsors of the Bill filed a motion for a further consideration stage of the bill.
The lead sponsor, Samuel Nartey George, proposed that clauses 10 and 11 of the anti-LGBTQ Act, which deal with the editorial policies of media firms, be subjected to Article 12 of the 1992 constitution which provides for the freedom of the media.
The amendments were approved by the House as part of the bill.
The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, also filed a motion for clause 12 of the bill, which deals with the funding of LGBTQ activities to be subjected to the constitution, but that was negated by the House.
Ghana is not the first country to pass a law that prohibits LGBTQ activities.
With the passage of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values bill, Ghana joins countries like Uganda to pass such bill.
For instance, in May 2023, Uganda signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBT laws, including a death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
However, activists for LGBTQ said Uganda’s law unleashed a wave of abuse and the World Bank suspended new funding to the country
