Anti-Gay Bill: Stop intimidating our members – NETRIGHT cautions Sam George, Foh-Amoaning

The Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana (NETRIGHT) has called out the Member of Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George; and private legal practitioner, Moses Foh-Amoaning, over their supposed attacks on two of its members, Prof Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh and Prof Audrey Gadzekpo.

According to NETRIGHT, Sam George and Foh-Amoaning have been making disparaging remarks about the two professors over their objections to the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill (anti-gay Bill).

In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, the group stated that the ‘attacks’ on its members have put their lives in danger and are unacceptable.

“Mr. Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram and Mr. Moses Foh-Amoaning, Executive Secretary for the National Coalition for Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill have in interviews with various media houses sought to ridicule our colleagues and bring them into disrepute by in the case of Mr. Sam George, accusing them of being driven by monetary gain to advocate against the Bill, and in the case of Mr. Foh-Amoaning, offering them help to cure them of their LGBTQ+ sexual orientation.

“In both cases, their utterances are clear attempts to intimidate and silence our colleagues for daring to have a contrary opinion to the proponents of this controversial and divisive Bill. Their actions are unacceptable and disturbing for several reasons. First, it has a chilling effect on discourse and shrinks the democratic space guaranteed under the 1992 Constitution’s free speech provisions,” part of the statement reads.

The statement added that, “Secondly, such utterances are extremely dangerous in the fevered atmosphere created by the Bill in which there have been an increasing number of attacks on persons suspected of being LGBTQ+. This dog-whistle strategy of personal attacks and casual lies against opponents of the Bill in this atmosphere lays them open to mob justice. We are especially concerned about the risk of sexual violence that women suspected of being LGBTQ+ suffer."

The group, therefore, called on Sam Nartey George and Foh-Amoaning to stop attacking Prof Emerita Manuh and Prof Gadzekpo over their views on the anti-gay Bill.

“NETRIGHT calls on Mr. Sam George and Mr. Foh-Amoaning to cease and desist from these unacceptable acts of intimidation and violence. We also call on the media to display balance in its handling of the news about the Bill. We call on Parliament and the Coalition, as principals of Mr. Sam George and Mr. Foh-Amoaning, to call them to order,” it added.

BAI/AE

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