Anti-LGBT Bill laid in Parliament

The Bill, titled, “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021”, has gone through the first reading in Parliament.

The Bill, among others, seeks to strengthen and augment existing legislation on the country’s penal code which criminalizes consensual “unnatural carnal knowledge” with people over the age of 16 years 1ad7 under section 104 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) as amended by Act 646 of 2003.

The bill is expected to ensure that people who engage in homosexual activity could be fined or go to jail for between three to five years.

The law would also make it a crime for any person to identify as a lesbian, gay, transgender, transsexual, queer, pansexual or non-binary (LGBTQ ) and would be punishable by five years in prison.

Besides, advocating for LGBQ rights would also be illegal under the bill, with activists facing jail sentences of between five and ten years.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Andrew Amoako-Asiamah, who presided over the sitting of the House, referred the Bill to Parliament’s Committee for Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration.

The sponsors of the Bill include Mr Samuel George Nartey, MP for Ningo-Prampram, Mrs Della Sowah, MP for Kpando, Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra, MP for Ho West, and Mr Alhassan Suhuyini, MP for Tamale North.

The rest are Ms Rita Odorley Sowah, MP for La Dadekotopon, Rev John Ntil Fordjour, MP for Assin-South, Mrs Helen Adjoa- Ntoso, MP for Karachi West and Mr Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi.