The lead sponsor of the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2021, otherwise known as the Anti-LGBTQ/Gay Bill, Samuel Nartey George, has rejected the assertion that the bill seeks to criminalise people for their sexual orientation.
The concern, which he says the Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, raised during the passage of the bill in Parliament, bothers on whether or not, people should be granted an avenue for reformation rather than being punished for their sexual orientation.
According to him, legislations are not meant for reformation alone but also to punish persons who flout them.
Explaining the bill to Alfred Ocansey, sit-in host of Hot Issues Sunday, March 10, 2024, Mr. George noted that Ghana’s prison centres already have counseling mechanisms to reform criminals and should rather be strengthened to ensure those who fall victim to the laws get the needed reforms whilst undergoing punishment.
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The Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, explaining the logic behind that provision in the bill said if people are jailed for smoking marijuana for their love for it, same should apply to persons who indulge in homosexuality because Ghana’s laws frown on both.
“We are not jailing people on the basis of their sexuality. If you engage in an act that is criminal by our laws, there is a price to pay for it. Laws are made not just to be reformative but also meant to be punitive and the argument that was being espoused by Afenyo[-Markin] was not by sexuality but about the fact that he thought that people should have an opportunity for reformation. Our jails allow for reformation; there is counseling that goes on in our jails.
“I think that what we should rather be doing is strengthen the reformational process of the prison service because; you have persons…and I use the same logic that he says that “why should someone who has been found guilty in any of the offences there go to jail”, why do we have young men and women in our jails for stealing bunches of plantain or a goat. Why are people in jail, it’s their own love for smoking marijuana? It’s simply because our law says it’s illegal, the law says it’s offensive and it’s punitive enough to act as a measure to stop you from doing something society finds abhorring,” he explained.
The Anti-gay bill aims to uphold human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values, prohibiting LGBTQ+ activities and its associated advocacy, promotion, and funding. Offenders face imprisonment, with individuals involved in promotion or sponsorship facing steeper penalties.
The bill now awaits presidential assent to be enacted into law.
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has cautioned the President not to assent to it due to a potential financial implication it will have on the State.
These risks include a potential loss of $850 million in budgetary support from the World Bank this year alone.
In the 5-page document, the Ministry explained that “for 2024 Ghana will lose US$600 million Budget support and US$250 million for the Financial Stability Fund.”
“This will negatively impact Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and exchange rate stability as these inflows are expected to shore the country’s reserve position,” the statement added.
