Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, says Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) practices are an abomination to Ghanaian culture as such they will not be accepted in the country.
This follows a statement made by the Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Gregory Andrews indicating that any attempt by Ghana’s Parliament to enact or pass legislation to discriminate against the rights of the LGBTQI+ community and any form of advocacy will be disappointing.
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Mr Andrews stated that Ghanaian culture needs to accept people for who they are by respecting their rights without causing any harm to people indulging in the act.
Paying a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament on Thursday, he said: “We believe that to protect human rights sometimes our culture needs to adapt and that doesn’t mean being a different culture, it means accepting people for who they are especially when they are not causing harm to anyone else.
“That is why on the LGBTQ+ issues, Australia will really encourage Ghana’s Parliament not to pass legislation that would discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community or remove their rights or to make it illegal for people to advocate for their Human Rights.”
In his response, Speaker Bagbin said Parliament will not pass any legislation that will infringe on people’s human rights.
However, he noted that the House will not legalise homosexuality.
According to him, LGBTQI+ practices are contrary to the customs of Ghana, therefore, will not be accepted in the country.
“I want to assure you that we have a very good constitution. Our laws abhor any form of discrimination. We also have the decision of the European Court on Human Rights to guide us in whatever we do.
“And so on the issue of LGBTQI+ definitely we already have a legal framework within which to work. We will not legislate to infringe on the Human Rights of people, but we will legislate to ensure that culture and traditions are not violated.
“This is something that we see as an abomination, it is something that we abhor and therefore, we will continue to go according to their culture,” he told the Australia High Commissioner.