Samuel Nartey George, a lead sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021, has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to assent to the Bill following its passage by Parliament on Wednesday, February 28.
“We want the President to walk his talk by appending his signature to the bill to enable it to come into force,” he said.
Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps after the passage of the Bill, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, said there was considerable support among MPs for the passage of the Bill.
He, therefore, expressed appreciation to colleague MPs, and particularly Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a former Majority Leader, for their commitment to ensuring the bill was passed.
“We want to thank Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who played a pivotal role in passing this bill,” the MP told the media.
Mr George also underscored the unity among MPs in the House during the whole process, adding: “The overwhelming majority from both sides of the aisle have endorsed this bill.”
He pledged the collaboration of members of Parliament with the media to ensure extensive public education on the bill.
The objective of the Bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values, which proscribes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and related activities.
The Bill currently proscribes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy and funding.
Persons caught in these acts would be subjected to six months to three-year jail term with promoters and sponsors of these acts bearing a three to five-year jail term.
The Bill would now require presidential assent to come into force.
In May 2023, Uganda signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBT laws, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
Activists said it unleashed a wave of abuse and the World Bank suspended new funding to the country.
The United Nations said in 2021 that the proposed law would create “a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence” against sexual minorities.
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