Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill referred to Parliament’s Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee

The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, popularly referred to as Anti-LGBTQ + Bill, has been laid before Parliament and referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs.

The Private Members Bill stands in the names of Hon Samuel Nartey George MP for Ningo Prampram, Della Adjoa Sowah – Kpando, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra – Ho West, John Ntim Fordjour – Assin South, Alhassan Sayibu Sohuyini – Tamale North, Rita Naa Odoley- Dadekotopon, Helen Adjoa Ntoso – Krachi West and Rockson – Nelson Kwame Dafeamekpor – South Dayi.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Andrew Amoako Asiamah who chaired proceedings at the time the bill was laid, referred it to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration.

The controversial anti-LGBT Bill that seeks to criminalize same-sex relationships in Ghana was gazetted last week.

The bill has proposed up to 10 years in jail for LGBTQ+ people as well as groups and individuals who advocate for their rights, express sympathy or offer social or medical support.

Support for intersex people would also be criminalised, and the government could direct intersex people to receive “gender realignment” surgery.

Aside from that, media entities, online platforms and accounts which publish information that could be deemed to encourage children to explore any gender or sex outside of the binary categories of male and female could face 10 years in prison.