The 275 MPs agree to the bill’s approval, which is anti-LGBTQ

The anti-LGBTQ Bill presently before the house has received the unanimous support of all 275 members of parliament.

Since its release in 2021, the document has been the subject of months of public discussion and ratification by legislators and other stakeholders.

With the most recent lawsuit just being launched on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, the contentious measure has already been the target of many judicial challenges.

Speaker Alban Bagbin, however, said that it is evident that no lawmaker is opposed to the passing of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, and he approved the laying of the bill and the ensuing discussion before the consideration stage.

“With the arguments just made by the Honourable Andy Appiah Kubi indicating that all 275 are in favour of the bill, anyone who disagrees be on your feet and I will recognise you.

Honourable Members, I won’t attempt to stifle the House’s discussion of the measure because all members support it. In order for the submissions under review to benefit from your efforts, I will offer you the chance to add to and improve upon them.

But he emphasised, “I just want us to be clear that none of us are opposed to the bill.”

The speaker, Alban Bagbin, stated that he was “tempted to give some time limits for the debates given the numbers so that we can give everyone a chance to make a contribution.” In the end, your report has already been made public.

The problematic Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, has generated controversy, and the House’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee has encouraged the House to adopt it.

According to the Committee, most Ghanaians are in favour of the bill.

The Committee informed the House that it had contacted the Attorney-General for their opinion while knowing there were “significant human rights concerns” with the bill.

The 18-page paper, which Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the chair of the committee, signed, was subject to the changes suggested by the committee.

According to Mr. Anyimadu-Antwi, the choice was made after taking the Attorney General’s counsel into account.

Background

On Tuesday, June 29, 2021, a private member’s bill addressing the contentious LGBT issue was delivered to Speaker Alban Bagbin. The initiative is being led by 8 MPs.

The advocates favour making homosexual actions, as well as their promotion, advocacy, and financial support, illegal in the nation.

Despite the fact that the Bill is before Parliament, it was revived during US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Ghana.

In her remarks to the group, Madam Harris stated, “I feel strongly about the significance of supporting freedom and the battle for equality among all people, and that all people be treated fairly.

Also, “I’ll just say that this is a problem that we see as a human rights problem, and I see it as a human rights problem.”

A portion of Ghanaians replied to her even though she did not explicitly address the issue in the country’s parliament because they found it offensive.

She received several notable responses, including that of Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, who labelled her remarks as anti-democratic and said they “should not be tolerated.”