LGBT+ Passage: Sam George calls on Akufo-Addo to assent

“We want the president to walk his talk by appending his signature to the bill to enable it to come into force,” he said.

Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps after the passage of the Bill, the National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram said there was considerable support among MPs for the passage of the bill.

He expressed appreciation to colleague MPs, particularly Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, a former Majority Leader, for their commitment to ensuring the bill was passed.

“We want to thank Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who played a pivotal role in passing this bill,” the MP told the media.

George also underscored the unity among MPs in the House in the whole process, adding: “The overwhelming majority from both sides of the aisle have endorsed this bill.”

He pledged the collaboration of members of Parliament with the media to ensure extensive public education on the bill.

The object of the bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values, which proscribes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+), and related activities.

The bill currently proscribes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Persons caught in these acts would be subjected to a jail term between six months to three years, with promoters and sponsors of these acts bearing a three to five-year jail term.

The bill would now require presidential assent to come into force.

In May 2023, Uganda signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBT laws, including the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”

Activists said it unleashed a wave of abuse, and the World Bank suspended new funding to the country.

The United Nations said in 2021 that the proposed law, Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, would create “a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence” against sexual minorities.