Parliament to submit LGBTQ+ Bill to President Akufo-Addo this week for validation

Barring any last minute hitches, Parliament will this week submit the anti-LGBTQ+ bill to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for validation. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021, popularly known as the LGBTQ+ Bill was passed on February 28, 2024 after nearly three years since its introduction in the House as a Private Members Bill.

Sponsors
The sponsors of the Bill were Samuel Nartey George, MP for Ningo-Prampram; Della Adjoa Sowah, MP for Kpando; Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, MP for Ho West; John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South; Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, MP for Tamale North; Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, MP for Dadekotopon; Helen Adjoa Ntoso; MP for Krachi West, and Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwame Dafeamekpor, MP for South Dayi.

Assent
A source close to Parliament told The Thunder that the House is expected to send the passed bill to the President this week to assent to it. But the vexed question is whether the President will give it the green light or not, looking at the developments surrounding the passage of the bill.

Controversy
The passage of the bill has elicited divergent reactions. While some Ghanaians have commended parliament for the passage of the bill, other individual and groups including foreign interests have condemned the bill.

Support
The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Ghana First Coalition (GFC) for instance have appealed to the President to assent to the bill. The General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr Cyril G. K. Fayose, said the council, welcomed its passage into law, stressing that the bill was in the right direction.

The Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, also said: “I can say without any equivocation that the Chief Imam was relatively joyful about the passing of this bill because he has fully been briefed about what we are going through with respect to the evolvement of this LGBTQ+ phenomenon in our country and the attempt to really universalize it and make it something normal and something acceptable. And as somebody who is the leader of Muslims in this country, he could not actually give any support to such matter to be allowed”

Opposition
But some local and international bodies have also condemned the bill. The bodies including Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Amnesty International Ghana Chapter, and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice have threatened to go to court if the President gives his assent to the bill.

The United States, and International Monetary Fund have equally condemned the bill describing it as discriminatory against LGBTQ people.