Parliament has passed the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 popularly known as anti-LGBTQI Bill on Wednesday February 28, 2024.
The Bill which has generated a lot of attention locally and internationally, seeks to curb the acknowledgement and promotion of any rights of LGBTQI+ individuals or group.
Persons caught in the act would be subjected to a 6 months to 3 year jail term with promoters and sponsors of the act bearing a 3 to 5 year jail term.
On February 21, the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin withdrew several amendments he had proposed to the bill.
However, during the deliberation stage of the bill on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, Mr. Afenyo-Markin restated his position on the bill, arguing that he was opposed to certain aspects of the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill, emphasising that the country should not enact measures that prohibit individuals or groups from supporting vulnerable members of society.
“You cannot — let’s not be too emotional about this; let’s be consistent. You are saying that you are protecting press freedom, so you are subjecting that provision to the constitutional imperative. And I’m pointing out to you that this particular provision must also be subjected to the constitution, and Article 17 is a major guide.”
The Majority Leader further stated that he supports aspects of the bill that align with human rights.