A prominent figure within the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has voiced his reservations regarding the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, recently passed by Parliament.
Expressing his concerns, Mr Otchere-Darko criticised the perceived severity of the bill, arguing that it fails to align with the needs of the Ghanaian populace and the fundamental rights of individuals.
He advocated for a public discourse to weigh the merits and drawbacks of the proposed legislation, highlighting the importance of engaging in an open dialogue on such sensitive matters.
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Ghana’s parliament, in which is vested the sovereign will of the people, has democratically passed a harsher anti-LGBTQ Bill. Yes, democratically! In fact the threat of being unseated for standing for the rights of gays, etc, certainly created its own culture of silence in the…
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) March 1, 2024
“Ghana’s Parliament, in which is vested the sovereign will of the people, has democratically passed a harsher anti-LGBTQ Bill. Yes, democratically! In fact the threat of being unseated for standing for the rights of gays, etc, certainly created its own culture of silence in the House! But, it is the decision of Parliament and one which enjoys huge popular support in the country. The world must understand that.
“But, Ghanaians must also understand that it comes with consequences. Choices have consequences. We expect the media and the politicians to be fair to the people by letting them know the pros and cons of this decision to impose stiffer penalties against gays, etc. We also expect those who believe the Bill is constitutionally wrong to do what is right and go to court.”
“That is democracy! Our institutions of democracy are still strong and alive. Let’s have faith in our democracy. Let’s respect the choices we make and their consequences and believe in the process. Ghana remains a sovereign state, with cultural norms that cannot be wished away but must be respected.
“I still believe, though, that we can balance our traditional family values with our traditional values of tolerance and diversity. That’s the Ghanaian way. The Ghanaian culture. The Ghanaian spirit. Our history. Our DNA. That is Ghanaian.”