Human rights organization, Amnesty International-Ghana, strongly opposes the ongoing efforts by Members of Parliament to pass the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
This comes after a unanimous consent by all 275 MPs passage of the controversial Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and the Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 at a debate on the floor on Wednesday, July 5.
They maintain their stance against the document will foster towards individuals who identify – in any way or form – as part of the minority groups adding that the Bill requires further amendments.
The law seeks to crimalise the practice of LGBTQ and advocacy of same.
But Country Director for Amnesty International-Ghana, Genevieve Partington, expressed the organization’s concerns.
For example, “I’m an ally, I’m identified as an ally, it also said from the Bill that, if you are an ally of LGBTQ community, that means you are living amongst people who have a different sexual orientation. I don’t see how that affects my life in any way,” she told Accra-based CitiNews.
“How does a man sleeping with a man within closed doors in their bedroom affect my life?”
Meanwhile, the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament has recommended that the House passes the controversial Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.
According to the Committee, the majority of Ghanaians are in favour of the legislation.
While admitting that the bill had “significant human rights concerns”, the Committee informed the House that it petitioned the Attorney-General for its opinion.
The 18-page document which was signed by the Committee’s Chairperson, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, had been subjected to the amendments proffered by the Committee.
Mr Anyimadu-Antwi indicated that the decision was reached after considering the advice of the Attorney General.