Parliament to pass the LGBTQ Bill by end of year – Speaker assures

Parliament is to pass the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, otherwise known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, by the end of the year 2023.

This is an assurance the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, gave to a delegation from the Coalition of Muslim Organizations of Ghana, according to a 3news.com report.

The delegation led by Hajj Abdul Rahman acknowledged and commended the speaker for his immense contribution to protecting and safeguarding Ghanaian values and norms against the LGBTQ.

In his acceptance statement, Alban Bagbin told the organization that parliament will pass the LGBTQ Bill by the end of 2023.

“Parliament will pass the anti-LGBTQ bill by the end of the year,” he said.

The Coalition conferred on the speaker the title Saifu_llah, which means the Sword of God, at Parliament House.

Alban Bagbin expressed appreciation to the group for the honour of conferring on him such a title.

Parliament debated the report on the bill by the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on Wednesday, July 5, 2023.

The report emphasised the issues brought up by both supporters and opponents of the law.

According to the report, those who are opposed to the bill claim that "LGBTQ+ activities form part of what the Constitution contemplates under Article 33 (5) about recognition of certian rights and freedoms that are inherent in a democracy and which is intended to secure the rights, freedoms, and dignity of the people.

“Consequently, any attempt to prescribe different treatment to different people on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender will be discriminatory and an affront to Articles 17(1) and (2) of the Constitution,” part of the report read.

NW/OGB

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