The Proper Human Sexual and Ghanaian Family Bill drafted by eight legislators, will officially be laid before Parliament on Monday, August 2.
After 21 days of public gazetting, the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to outlaw the involvement, promotion, propagation, advocacy, support or funding for its related activities, will finally be brought before the House for deliberation.
This was revealed by Parliamentary Correspondent, Joseph Opoku Gakpo on Joy FM’s Midday News on Friday.
“It is the only private members’ Bill. It is expected that Samuel George and seven MPs who are championing it, will lay it on the floor and move the motion so that it subsequently gets referred to the Constitution and Legal Access Committee of Parliament,” he said.
According to him, the House in its Business Statement is expected to go through the first reading of five bills.
Four of the bills are being presented from the Office of the Attorney General. They are “Constitution of the Republic of Ghana Amendment Bill, Citizenship Amendment Bill, Office of the Special Prosecutor Amendment Bill and Criminal Amendment Bill.”
Meanwhile, Speaker Alban Bagbin has cautioned persons threatening the lives of the MPs sponsoring the Bill to desist from such acts, adding that no individual can dictate how to run the country, to lawmakers.
He noted that Parliament will at the earliest possible time pass the anti-LGBTQ bill.
Proper Human Sexual and Ghanaian Family Bill
The recent anti-LGBT bill drafted by some eight Ghanaian legislators has created several controversies since it was sighted on social media.
The discussion as to whether the 36-page bill indeed seeks to infringe on the human rights of citizens as well as silence free speech has been ongoing since Thursday, July 22.
Portions of the Bill state that individuals of the same sex who engage in sexual intercourse are; “liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than seven hundred and fifty penalty units and not more than five thousand penalty units, or to a term of imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than five years or both.”
Also, the proposed anti-LGBT bill states that “a person who, by use of media, technological platform, technological account or any other means, produces, procures, markets, broadcasts, disseminates, publishes or distributes a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, or a person who uses an electronic device, the Internet service, a film, or any other device capable of electronic storage or transmission to produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate, publishes or distribute a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction, to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years.”
The eight legislators spearheading the fight against same-sex relationships in the country through this bill are; MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George, Ho West MP, Emmanuel Bedzrah, MP for Kpando, Della Adjoa Sowah, and John Ntim Fordjour, the MP for Assin South.
The rest are MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini, La Dadekotopon MP, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, the MP for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso, and Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, the MP for South Dayi.
