Report on Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to be laid before parliament for consideration on Friday

Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Bernard Ahiafor has indicated that the committee will present the report on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 bill also known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill on Friday, March 24, 2023.

According to him, the committee has considered the concerns of Ghanaians after they received over 200 memoranda on the bill.

Speaking in an interview with GhanaWeb’s Nimatu Yakubu Atouyese, he said, “…We are at a stage that the committee’s report and the recommended amendments on the LGBTQ+ bill is ready, so it likely tomorrow we will lay the report on the LGBTQ+ bill by which it has now moved from the committee to the plenary for consideration.

"So, it will be for a second reading then after the second reading when the bill passes through the second reading, then it moves to a consideration stage, the third reading, then it is passed. And will be referred to the president for accent in line with the constitutional imperatives.”

The Anti-LGBTQ+ bill sponsor, Sam George has hinted that the bill will be presented before the house in March 2023.

This comes after the committee on the bill met with the Attorney General Wednesday, February 22, 2023, after which he indicated that he was okay with the bill.

“I can see that we now have a light at the end of the tunnel. We have reached the end of the tunnel. And we'll be bringing that report hopefully before the end of March or before this house rises and laying it before the house for debates on the floor. And so watch this space. We are in a good place. And we'll be looking forward to you giving us all the support to pass this landmark bill, which will be the first of its kind. Yesterday the Attorney General made that point the first of its kind on African continent. Nigeria has a bill banning same sex marriages. That's all. It doesn't have all the other things our bill has. And so we're excited about this," Sam George added.

YNA/WA