The minority in Parliament has taken a swipe at the ruling administration over what it describes as a calculated delay in reintroducing the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
The bill, which aims to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana, was a hot-button issue during the 8th Parliament, with the then-opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rallying strong support for its passage. However, the minority arguethat since assuming power, the same political actors have gone silent on the bill, despite earlier assurances to Ghanaians of swift action.
Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, June 25, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin expressed deep frustration over the government’s inaction.
“Our friends in the then-opposition used the anti-LGBTQ bill as a major campaign tool. They made a strong declaration in support of its passage and gave Ghanaians strong assurance that they were committed to defending family values and enacting the bill into law,” he said.
“But today, when they have the power to hear and the numbers, the same people have gone mute. This is just not disappointing but deliberate,” he added, questioning why other urgent bills were being prioritised while the LGBTQ+ legislation remained untouched.
The minority maintains that the delay has created a legal and moral vacuum, allowing the public display of LGBTQ+ activities to go unchallenged. They are calling on the government to match its previous rhetoric with action by immediately reintroducing the bill for debate and passage in the 9th Parliament.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill remains one of the most controversial pieces of legislation in Ghana’s recent history, attracting both strong local support and sharp criticism from international human rights groups.
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