The Minority Caucus in Parliament has called for the restoration of what it describes as the “original” anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, arguing that amendments made to the legislation have weakened its effectiveness.
The call was made during a presentation led by the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, who insisted that the initial version of the bill contained stronger provisions capable of serving as a deterrent.
“These are dangerous dilutions we should not allow to go like that. We want the old bill to come. The old bill is what has the teeth; the deterrence and the teeth to bite,” he said.
According to the Minority Caucus, presenting the original version of the bill was necessary to clarify the intent and substance of the legislation as it was first introduced in Parliament.
The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities and related advocacy in Ghana.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour stated that the caucus remains committed to ensuring that the bill reflects its original objectives without what he described as weakening amendments introduced during the legislative process.
The bill was earlier referred to Parliament’s Select Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs for consideration and stakeholder consultations.
As part of the review process, the committee engaged traditional authorities, Christian and Muslim leaders, the Ghana AIDS Commission, and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), among other stakeholders, to gather views on the proposed legislation.
Following its passage in Parliament, the bill is currently awaiting presidential assent to become law.
