A contentious act that severely limits LGBTQ rights was passed by Ghana’s congress.
Jason Connolly/AFP
- A controversial act that severely limits LGBTQ rights was approved by Ghana’s congress.
- Gay sex is already prohibited in the spiritual West African country, but unlike the colonial era laws, prejudice against LGBTQ people is still prevalent.
- According to the legislation, same-sex relationships may face sentences ranging from six months to three years in prison.
On Wednesday, the parliament of Ghana’s parliament approved a contentious act that severely restricts LGBTQ rights. Rights activists have condemned this decision.
The leader must also ratify the bill before it becomes law, which is, according to experts, doubtful before a public election in December.
The” Human Sexual Rights and Family Values” act has been criticized as a loss for individual rights and called on President Nana Akufo-Addo’s administration to reject it.
However, Ghana’s opposition to the bill is commonly rife, where Akufo-Addo has vowed that gay marriage will never be permitted while in power.
The legislation, which is frequently referred to as the anti-gay bill, was supported by a coalition of Christian, Muslim, and standard African leaders, which gained significant support from the legislature.
Gay sex is already prohibited in the spiritual West African country, but unlike the colonial era laws, prejudice against LGBTQ people is still prevalent.
According to the legislation, same-sex relationships may face sentences ranging from six months to three years in prison.
Advocates for LGBTQ rights face harsher punishments, with possible prison sentences of three to five years.
Completely incorrect
The act has been condemned by a human rights group in Ghana known as the Big 18, an umbrella organization of doctors and activists.
The bill does what the bill does, according to Takyiwaa Manuh, a part of the partnership, and it is completely wrong.” You cannot criminalize a person’s identity,” Manuh said.
We want to persuade the president not to approve the bill because it blatantly violates the right of the Gay community, Manuh told AFP.
The bill’s primary partner, opposition lawmaker Sam George, requested that Akufo-Addo give its assent.
Everything else deals with Gay issues more effectively than this act that has been passed by parliament. We anticipate the leader to speak up and speak his mind,” George said.
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The impact of the invoice is a concern for Ghana’s Transgender community.
Alex Donkor, the organization’s founder and director, stated that the passage of this act will more marginalize and harm LGBTQ people in Ghana.
He claimed that it not only legalizes bias but also creates a climate of dread and persecution.
This act threatens the health and well-being of an already vulnerable group by severe fines for both LGBTQ people and activists.
According to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association ( ILGA ), about 30 African nations currently outlaw homosexuality.
Those accused of being in a same-sex relationship face the death penalty, which Uganda, Mauritania, and several other northern African states cruelly enforce.
The only globe country that legalized gay marriage in 2006 is South Africa, which is the only one that does so.
Only a few states, including Cape Verde, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mozambique, and the Seychelles, have decriminalized gay sex, according to the ILGA.
