Amnesty International criticizes Oquaye over ban homosexuality comment

Human Right Group, Amnesty International has launched a scathing attack on the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament for calling for the amendment of the country’s laws to completely ban homosexuality and make it illegal.

Speaking at the Royal House Chapel on Monday, February 20, 2017, Prof. Mike Oquaye described homosexuality as despicable and against the country’s culture which cannot be accepted.

He said: “It is unfortunate that people have become so liberal that they will want to liberalise Christianity…even priests are approving of homosexuality and allowing a man and a man [to] marry, a woman and a woman [to] marry and these are manifest abominations.”

“I trust that with your kind of insistence, the Parliament of Ghana…will find its way clear in strengthening the laws to ban homosexuality as they exist. As for this, may God forbid that it becomes a Ghanaian culture,” he added.

The speaker’s call, according to the Executive Director of Amnesty International—Ghana, Frank Doyi, is dangerous and has the tendency of infringing the fundamental and universal rights of those engaged in homosexuality.

He said: “Amnesty International recognizes and appreciates the fact that human rights must be based within our cultural norms and practices. So cultural relativism is something that Amnesty International represent in what we do in terms of promoting and protecting human rights.”