Proponents of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (anti-LGBT bill) say they are in danger of losing their parliamentary seats because of their advocacy for the passage of the private members’ bill.
According to South Dayi MP, Rockson Dafeamekpor, LGBTQ members and lobbyists are influencing their primary elections.
This, he explained, is because the members believe that if the proponents of the bill are removed from Parliament, advocacy for the bill will cease.
“It is not something we are taking lightly. These people are on a vendetta, they are on an agenda to ensure that this bill doesn’t succeed in Parliament.
“The people want us out of Parliament, we have evidence but we are speaking to the fact that these are people who are not sleeping,” he told Evans Mensah in an interview on JoyNews’ PM Express on Wednesday.
He, therefore, urged parliamentarians to support the passage of the bill.
The constitutional and legal affairs committee is expected to present a report of their deliberation to parliament and seek approval for the consideration of the content of the anti-LGBT bill.
The committee has removed the section of the anti-gay bill which criminalises advocacy for LGBTQ issues and reduced the penalty from 5 years to 3 years.
These controversial provisions had been criticised by both local and international organisations with some demanding the entire bill be binned.
This was revealed by the ranking member of the committee, Bernard Ahiafor who further explained to Raymond Acquah on JoyNews’ Upfront that the changes were made to align the bill with the Constitution and other existing laws.
“The criminal and other offences are 3 years …the law as the committee proposes is that the aspect of the rendition in the earlier bill must be taken off,” he added.
On the same show, the spokesperson of the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu said President Akufo Addo was not forthright with his recent comments on the matter.
Meanwhile, the Country Director of Amnesty International Genevieve Partington says the bill in its current form is discriminatory and will promote hate crime when passed.
According to her, passage of the bill will legitimise the attack, harassment and persecution of LGBT people in the country, adding that people perceived to be gay or lesbian could easily fall victim to mob justice as a result of the anti-gay bill.
“It promotes hate crime. Let me give you an example, if people are perceived to be lesbian or gay, let’s just say me, I’m in a hotel room with another lady and someone decides to call and suspect that I am a lesbian, you know, it can promote hate crime.
“Because what if I am not and just as we catch thieves in Ghana and we do instant justice and mob action, this can also increase mob action towards this community so this is one thing I feel is not good,” she explained.
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