President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, is urging Parliament to ensure that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, also known as the Anti-LGBTQ bill, doesn’t leave any loopholes for people to abuse the law.
He says the Bill should ensure that what the entirety of the citizenry have been vouching for is represented, without anyone surreptitiously promoting the act under the guise of the exemptions in the Bill.
Speaking on the BigIssue segment on the NewDay morning show on TV3 Thursday, June 4, 2026, Bishop Gyamfi noted that LGBTQ activities are not part of Ghana’s culture and should not be entertained in any form and shape.
He advised the House to ensure any such provision in the Bill is expunged to safeguard the integrity of the law.
“What I believe should be happening is that there should not be any lacuna or loophole that would give anybody, either professional or nonprofessional, to be seen to be seen to be going against the basic tenets of the law,” he stated.
Bishop Gyamfi summarised the tenets of the law as: “No same sex marriage; no teaching of this LGBTQ issues in our schools,” stressing that “these things should not become part and parcel of our culture.”
He continued that “there should not be any promotion or any gay parade whatsoever in our streets or in any form or manner.”
He also reemphasised that Ghanaians “do not accept LGBTQ practices in Ghana”, which he believes is the “summary and the core of the demands that Ghanaians are making of Parliament to put on the table.”
The Bishop’s comments come on the back of the controversy surrounding the passage of the reintroduced Bill which both President John Dramani Mahama and the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, have spoken on.
Speaker Bagbin for instance, has emphasised the need for consensus on the legislation to ensure effective implementation and public acceptance, saying he was surprised at the speed with which the Bill was passed in his absence.
Following the controversies surrounding the Bill, he has summoned the House leadership to discuss it, citing concerns about its passage.
On his part, President Mahama has stated that the Bill is far from becoming law, citing procedural and constitutional challenges. He has indicated that his legal counsel and the Attorney-General would review the legislation thoroughly before he decides whether to sign it into law.
Mahama also mentioned that he has options, including referring the bill to the Council of State for advice or returning it to Parliament for reconsideration.
The bill, passed on Friday, May 29, 2026, imposes prison sentences for same-sex relationships and promoting LGBTQ activities. It has since sparked intense debate, with critics arguing it infringes on human rights and supporters claiming it protects Ghanaian cultural values.
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