Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George has criticised Ghana’s decision to abstain from a United Nations vote on LGBTQ+ rights, saying the stance is inconsistent with Ghana’s values and constitutional principles.
As a key proponent of Ghana’s Anti-Gay Bill, Sam George has had several encounters with international media where he has defended the need to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities in the country.
The bill, sponsored by him and some MPs in the previous Parliament, which many have described as controversial, sought to criminalise activities associated with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) advocacy.
If passed into law, it would have imposed penalties on individuals promoting, funding, or indirectly supporting LGBTQI-related activities. However, President Akufo-Addo did not assent to it.
In a post on his Facebook Thursday, July 10, 2025, he said Ghana’s decision to abstain from the voting on the draft resolution L.24 at the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council was “in conflict with Ghana’s espoused position and my conscience.”
He insisted that Ghana must always make its stance “clear and unambiguous.”
“The innocence of Ghanaian children and the sanctity of our values cannot be traded for any consideration,” he stated. “Let truth, our conscience and our principles be our guiding light,” he stated.
He noted he still maintains his position on LGBTQ+ matters, indicating that he and his colleagues in Parliament have resubmitted the same anti-LGBTQ+ bill to Parliament for this administration to pass it.
He is now calling on Parliament to expedite the approval process so the bill can be presented to President John Dramani Mahama for assent.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has clarified Ghana’s position on the controversial vote, amid the ongoing public debate.
The Ministry in a statement issued Wednesday, 9 July, 2025, clarified that Ghana does not support LGBTQ+ rights as some media reports suggest.
It explained that the resolution in question concerned the renewal of the mandate of the UN Independent Expert on Protection Against Violence and Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and not the endorsement of LGBTQ+ rights.
“There was no vote on the support of LGBTQI for which Ghana abstained, as has been wrongly reported by a section of the Ghanaian media,” the statement said.
The Ministry stated that Ghana’s abstention was guided by Chapter 5, Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or social and economic status.
The Monday, July 7, 2025 vote, saw 29 member states voting in favour of renewing the Independent Expert’s mandate, with 15 countries opposing. Ghana was among the three member countries that abstained.
In a statement delivered at the Human Rights Council session, Ghana’s Permanent Representative clarified the government’s understanding of gender as “the male sex or female sex, especially when considered with reference to social and cultural differences.”
However, Sam George believes Ghana’s abstinence, despite the clarification, sends a wrong message, both internationally and locally. He argues Ghana must protect its cultural values and the “innocence of Ghanaian children.”
