Western Regional priests to embark on a campaign to support Anti-LGBTQ+ bill

A number of priests in the Western Region will on May 18, 2023, hit the streets of Sekondi and Takoradi to protest against LGBTQ rights in Ghana.

According to the Executive Secretary of the Western Region Network of Ministers, Churches, and Council, Rt. Rev. Dr. Bright Daniel Karikari, the demonstration is to throw their support behind the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and the Ghanaian Family Bill before parliament.

“Our demonstration is also in support of the bill currently in parliament, Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and the Ghanaian Family Bill. We are demonstrating to support the bill. It is in support of the bill. We are masking up so that the government will know that we- the Christian community and even the Muslim community are in support of the bill so that they can go ahead and pass it,” he said.

Speaking on Joyfm’s Newsnight programme on Tuesday, he emphasised that the decision to hit the streets was to express their displeasure against the act and not the people involved in the practice.

“We are not demonstrating against persons with the LGBTQ+ community, we are only demonstrating against an act, we feel it’s a perversion and it will interest you to know that some of these people may be worshipping in our church.

“We are not against them but we are the church, we are saying that such acts do not sit well with our belief system, our faith, and our teachings,” he told host, Evans Mensah.

The two-to-three-day event is expected to begin with a press conference, a crusade, a prayer, and a demonstration.

On March 30, the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament recommended that the House pass the controversial Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021.

According to the Committee, a majority of Ghanaians are in favour of the legislation.

While admitting that the bill had “significant human rights concerns”, the Committee informed the House that it petitioned the Attorney-General for its opinion.

The 18-page document which was signed by the Committee’s Chairperson, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi wants Parliament to “pass into law, the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, subject to the amendments proffered by the Committee.”

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