The Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament of Ghana is to start public hearing for the controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Thursday November 11,2021.
The Committee handling the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill has so far received over 150 memoranda on the bill.
Ibrahim Ahmed, Member of Parliament (MP) for Banda who raised the matter of the bill last Friday for the House to be briefed on the roadmap.
He further called on parliament to carry the public along with it to avoid public outcry.
Chronicling the roadmap on the Anti- LGBTQ+, Member of Parliament for Effutu Constituency and Deputy Majority Leader Alex Afenyo-Markins stated that “On the issue of this LGBTQ+, Mr. Speaker, the Committee has received over 150 memoranda. I am well informed of the steps they’ve taken so far. They’ve met to programme and hear them week by week and from next week they’re starting.
“So if Hon. Ibrahim Ahmed wants us to carry the nation along and we don’t know whether more memorandum will come, then we are looking at 15 weeks.”
According to him, 10 memoranda will be considered every week out of the current total of 150, indicating that “it’s important all that have brought memoranda are heard before they prepare their report then we make progress”.
Already, the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin has served notice to parliamentarians that he will not tolerate any attempt to delay the passage of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
He noted that voting on the bill will be made public, assuring that Ghanaian values will inform the passage of the anti-gay bill and constitutionally guaranteed rights will be respected.
“We will not tolerate any attempt to delay the passage of the anti-gay bill, committee sitting on the anti-gay bill will be public, voting will be public and common sense and Ghanaian values will inform the passage, constitutionally guaranteed rights will be respected, Speaker of Parliament declared when Parliament reconvened Tuesday October 26, 2021.
In early August, a bill was introduced in parliament to restrict the rights of LGBT+ people.
It includes criminalizing the defense of LGBT+ rights, a duty to report “suspects”, the promotion of conversion therapy and the imposition of prison sentences for homosexuality.
The bill was submitted to parliament by seven opposition MPs and one member of the ruling party.
By Vincent Kubi