Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua and Sam George
• Prof Appiagyei-Atua says some aspects of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill violates human rights
• He said, these aspects will have serious consequences on an individual’s freedom
• Sam George opposed the views of the law professor
A law lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Law, has stated that some aspects of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill which is currently before Parliament have serious consequences on an individual’s freedom.
Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua explained on Newsfile, Saturday, October 9, that, the bill also violates the rights to freedom of expression, rights of association and right to attain a certain form of development for one’s self.
“When we are talking about Human Rights, these are rights that people are entitled to as a result of their humanity. Rights issues can also be seen in the context of the fact that we cannot have an omnivorous form of rights that every form of rights should subscribe to,” he said.
Prof Appiagyei-Atua added, “it has serious consequences on people’s freedom. The Bill, for example, says that you cannot question the issue of homosexuality; you cannot express it on the radio and social media. That’s a violation of the right to freedom of expression”.
Prof Appiagyei-Atua further noted that, the anti-LGBTQ+ bill which “also talks about the fact that, if as a lecturer, I want to talk about LGBTQ rights in my Human Rights class, I cannot talk about it because I’ll be questioning the fundamentals of this particular practice which the law seems to prohibit.”
But Samuel Nartey George, who was also a guest on the same show had an opposing view to the concerns of the law professor.
According to him, the bill titled: “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, Bill 2021,” guarantees protection against assault and harm meted against such persons.
“Clause 22 prohibits extrajudicial treatment. Clauses in the bill actually give the people involved in LGBTQ+ activities the right to medical attention, etc.”
He said, the law professor has nothing to fear if in teaching about the challenges of LGBT, does not try to inculcate the doctrines of LGBTQ into his students.
“If you turn yourself into an advocate for LGBTQ rights in your class, and advocate that the Ghanaian child whom you have been asked to teach in trust, that child has been put in your care and trust, you are to teach that child in consonance with our customary values. And you go, and you are trying to inculcate something contrary, you would fall foul of the law.
“But if you are having an intellectual discussion, or a lecture on what the history of LGBTQ has been, how it has evolved, the challenges it’s facing even on the African continent, how it has been embraced elsewhere, and it is solely for educational purposes, you have no problem,” Sam George explained.
In analyzing the issue, the NDC MP for Ningo Prampram used prostitution as a case study.
He said, “Prostitution is consensual. Prostitution is an individual selling his or her body for monetary value. The person gives you consent to have sex with them and pay them.”
The MP argues, “If you are an employer and somebody appears before you, and you find out that that person is an armed robber, or you find out that person is into money fraud or cyber fraud, would you employ the person?”