‘Passage of anti-LGBTQ Bill go fit be bad for Ghana economy’ - US Ambassador to Ghana caution

US Ambassador caution Ghanaians den lawmakers say de attempt to pass de anti-LGBT bill go fit affect de economy.

According to Ambassador Virginia Palmer, Ghanaians and lawmakers for be careful wit de move to pass de Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021.

“Dis be harmful not just to de people dem dey discriminate against but e be harmful to everybody” she talk.

Virginia Palmer add say “dis go fit be bad to de Ghanaian economy sake of pressure go come from companies go talk say dem no fit out dia headquarters for Ghana sake of dia staff no be safe.”

She explain say dem just dey ask for de rights of people to be respected so say dem go fit live peaceful and free from harm.

“We no your straight children to be gay, we want your gay children to be safe” she talk during interview on JoyNews.

Dis concern dey come up after Ghana parliament give strong indication say dem go push de anti-LGBTQ Bill through before de House go rise.

But de anti-LGBTQ campaigners for Ghana believe US too dey discriminate against people wey dey practice polygamy.

Reaction from anti-LGBTQ campaigners

Leaders behind the anti-LGBTQ Bill dey challenge de position of US Ambassador say dem dey discriminate against other people rights.

Lawmaker and Anti-LGBTQ Campaigner, Sam Dzata George believe say de US govment too dey discriminate against right of people to polygamy.

“When de US respect de right of people who get more than one wife legally, which be acceptable in Ghana... we go fit have conversation” he talk.

“But until dem fit respect rights of persons for US who want be polygamous, then dem no have any moral right to talk” Sam George add.

Anti-LGBTQ Bill propose 10 years jail term LGBTQ activists

Lawmakers for Ghana dey propose 10-year jail term inside new bill which dey criminalize LGBTQ+ activism in de country.

De main objective of de 36 paged document, Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 draft bill wan deal plus what dem say be "propaganda, advocacy for LGBTQI+ den related activities.

Reason for de new Bill be sake of recent LGBTQ+ advocacy den activism which dey increase for Ghana.

Dis Bill, when passed into law go make am impossible to even support or campaign for LGBTQ+ rights online like social media platforms.

Prohibition of LGBTQ+ activities

Section 6 of de bill mention say anyone who go engage in sexual intercourse with same sex "commit second degree felony wey dem be liable on summary conviction…to a term of not less than three years and not more than five years or both."

Prohibition against promotion den advocacy

In Section 12 of 36 paged Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, "anybody wey go use media, technological platform, technological account or any other means, produce, procure, market, broadcast, disseminate, publish or distribute material for purposes of promoting activity prohibited under de Bill.”

“Or person wey go use internet… commit offence wey dem be liable on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not less than five years den not more than ten years,” de bill state.