The Member of Parliament for Assin South and leading sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has alleged that amendments made to the legislation have created exemptions that would allow certain individuals and institutions to advocate for LGBTQ rights without facing sanctions under the proposed law.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, Rev. NtimFordjour argued that changes to Clause 9 of the bill, which deals with the prohibition of LGBTQ advocacy and promotion, have significantly weakened the legislation’s original intent.
According to him, the amended provision granted exemptions to several professional groups, including lawyers, medical practitioners, journalists, counsellors, Members of Parliament, Non-Governmental Organisations and foreign donors.
“Clause 9, which prohibits advocacy and promotion was amended to grant lawyers, medical doctors, journalists, NGOs, MPs, foreign donors, Counsellors, etc, the free pass and exemption to promote and advocate freely for LGBTQ without being held liable,” he said.
The legislator maintained that the changes effectively shielded these groups from prosecution for activities that could otherwise be interpreted as promoting or advocating LGBTQ issues, thereby creating loopholes within the bill.
His comments come amid renewed debate over the future of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, following disagreements over amendments introduced before its transmission for presidential assent.
The Minority Caucus in Parliament has argued that the bill was deliberately altered in a manner that undermined its passage into law, while the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has similarly criticised the changes, describing the amended version as a diluted and “disfigured” bill.
Both groups have called for assent to the original version passed by Parliament in 2024, insisting that the amendments stripped the legislation of key provisions intended to curb the promotion and advocacy of LGBTQ activities in Ghana.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill remains one of Ghana’s most contentious pieces of proposed legislation, attracting strong support from religious and traditional groups, while also drawing criticism from human rights advocates and international organisations.
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