See changes made to the anti-LGBT+ bill after first consideration in Parliament

The Parliament of Ghana on Friday, December 8, 2023, began the consideration of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (anti-LGBTQI bill) after the back and forth that was seen on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, and the other MPs, who sponsored the bill, were not happy that the majority caucus of the house did not allow the bill to be taken during proceedings on Wednesday.

Ningo-Prampram legislator accused the majority caucus of refusing the order of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for the bill to be taken and the proposed corrections and amendments made to it.

He said that the majority caucus is using all manner of means to oppose the passage of the bill because they want to disgrace the Speaker of Parliament who has promised that the bill would be passed before the end of 2023.

But on Friday, the house began considering the amendments that were proposed for the bill after the report of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament was approved unanimously by the house.

According to Odekro, a Parliament Research Group, the first change that was made to the bill was the cancellation of the Q from the alphabets of LGBTQI+.

It reported that Sam George explained that Q had to be cancelled because the bill does not seek to criminalise ‘queer and questioning’ people.

“The 'Q' in LGBT has been deleted from the Bill. As @samgeorgegh (MP, Ningo/Prampram) explains the intention of the Bill doesn't seek to criminalise queer and questioning. Therefore, under paragraph (d) of clause 1 the rendition would read as, ‘LGBTTAP+’,” Odekro wrote on X.

The other changes to the bill as provided by Odekro are:

Amendment proposed in clause 3 for insertion under sub-clause (2) to read: "subject to article 39 of the 1992 Constitution, the following persons or institutions, protect and promote, through formal and informal education, the human sexual rights & family values specified in section 22 of the Act”.

The proposal to delete 'proper' from the Bill which includes title of the Bill and will run through each clause where proper is found it'd be deleted. The sponsors of the Bill aren't opposed to the amendment. The House's discussion in tandem with article 39.

"Ghanaian family values" as defined in the bill includes sanctity of marriage i.e. as marriage between man and woman; sanctity of the family.

The proposal to insert "preserve" in the line in sub-clause 2 of clause 3 to read as, "...preserve, protect and promote, through formal and informal education...", was also debated.

The consideration came to an end at this point and is expected to continue at the next setting.

View the post shared by Odekro below:

The 'Q' in LGBT has been deleted from the Bill. As @samgeorgegh (MP, Ningo/Prampram) explains the intention of the Bill doesn't seek to criminalise queer and questioning. Therefore under paragraph (d) of clause 1 the rendition would read as, "LGBTTAP+". #GhParliament

— Odekro (@odekro) December 8, 2023

There's a proposal to delete 'proper' from the Bill which includes title of the Bill and will run through each clause where proper is found it'd be deleted. The sponsors of the Bill aren't opposed to the amendment.

The House's discussion in tandem with article 39. #GhParliament

— Odekro (@odekro) December 8, 2023

There's a proposal to insert "preserve" in the line in sub-clause 2 of clause 3 to read as, "...preserve, protect and promote, through formal and informal education..."

The House debates. #GhParliament

— Odekro (@odekro) December 8, 2023