The Big 18 and the Human Rights Coalition are urging the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021.
The Human Sexual Rights And Family Values Bill, 2021, seeks to unequivocally criminalise LGBTQI+ activities.
The bill also proposes that a person who, by use of media, technological platform, technological account or any other means, produces, procures, markets, broadcasts, disseminates, publishes or distributes a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, or a person uses an electronic device, the Internet service, a film, or any other device capable of electronic storage or transmission to produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate, publishes or distribute a material for purposes of promoting an activity prohibited under the Bill, commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years and not more than ten years.
Parliament has indicated that it will pass the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021 also popularly called the Anti-LGBTQI Bill soon.
Addressing the press on Tuesday February 27, Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, a member of the Big 18 and the Human Rights Coalition and Board Chair for CDD Ghana said the Bill violates Article 108 of the 1992 Constitution which prohibits private members’ bills that impose a charge on the public purse.
Professor Audrey indicated that the coalition also observed that the proposal to amend the Bill to substitute community service for incarceration by Member of Parliament for Efutu, Mr. Afenyo-Markin was rejected.
The coalition has since called on the president not to assent to the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021.
“The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill violates key fundamental human rights provisions in Ghana’s 1992 Constitution. In one swoop, this Bill seeks to infringe on, among others, the rights to dignity, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to partake in processions, academic freedom, equality and non[1]discrimination. These rights and freedoms constitute the bedrock of any constitutional democracy and any attempt to tinker with them will set a dangerous precedent for our democracy and must be of great concern to all Ghanaians.”
“Rights are the pillars upon which democracy rests to prevent the tyranny of the majority. Depending on where we find ourselves, and on any given issue, we can all experience the feeling of being minorities. The rights guaranteed in the Constitution are therefore our only protector from majoritarian tyranny.”
“Human rights are not dependent on majority approval or disapproval, therefore, the assertion by proponents of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill that because the majority of Ghanaians are allegedly in favour of the Bill justifies its passage into law, is untenable,” Professor Audrey Gadzekpo expounded.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu
