There is no unanimity anywhere in the world regarding the support for homosexuality, lead sponsor of the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, otherwise known as the Anti-LGBTQ/Gay Bill, Samuel Nartey George, has indicated.
He says there is division in the United States and other countries in Europe where LGBTQ has been legalised due to the disapproval from a section of their citizens.
His comments come on the back of persons raising concerns that the bill should not criminalise people for their sexual orientation. He explains that that assertion is wrong, indicating that the bill is taking care of persons who have flouted the laws of the land, just as any other crime is treated.
Speaking on TV3’s Hot Issues Sunday, March 10, 2024, Mr. Nartey George disclosed that there are over 500 legal tussles on LGBTQ activities in the United States for 2023 alone, despite the act being legalised over those places.
“Even in the countries where they say they support it, it’s not settled. Those countries are all divided. There is no unison. There is no country in the world today that is unanimous in its support for homosexuality. There is none, absolutely none; from Europe to America, there are very clear divisions. In the US for example, about 22 states have passed legislation that criminalises and ban homosexuality in one way or the other. We have over 500 legislations that have gone up since 2021 just dealing with homosexuality. If I check my records 510 Anti-LGBT bills were introduced in state legislature across the United States in just 2023 alone,” he revealed.
He told sit-in host, Alfred Ocansey that states like “Montana, North and South Dakota, Indiana, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Idaho, West Virginia, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina have all passed legislations against homosexuality.”
Reacting to the bill criminalising people for their sexual orientation, the Ningo Prampram MP opined that “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.
Anti-gay bill not meant to punish people for their sexuality – Sam George
