The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee will today, Thursday resume public hearings on the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021.
The Bill, if passed in its current state, will criminalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) and their related activities in the country.
About 150 memoranda from individuals, groups and faith-based organisations were presented to the Committee regarding the Bill.
The Committee began engaging members who presented these memos last year and took a break when Parliament went on recess in December.
Thus, the engagement is expected to resume for input from these various stakeholders to be captured in the report of the Committee that will be presented to the plenary.
In August 2021, eight parliamentarians jointly submitted this private bill to ban the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality in the country.
However, opposers have argued that should the bill be passed in its current state, it will be in violation of the fundamental human rights of individuals who identify with the group.
The Bill, however, has the support of a number of religious organisations like the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council and the Church of Pentecost, who have also appeared before the Committee to reiterate their commitment to getting the Bill passed.
A representative of the Church of Pentecost, Elder Peter Kaba, asked Parliament to make a decision that is consistent with the views of the majority of Ghanaians on the issue.
The Group has also warned that any government that opposes the LGBTQ+ Bill will be voted out of power.