Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill will receive 100 percent votes from Parliament – MP

Member of Parliament (MP) for the Oforikrom Constituency, Dr. Emmanuel Marfo, says he will be surprised if the “Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021” does not receive 100 percent approval by parliament.

According to him, the vote for the passage of the bill is the opinion of the Ghanaian people. “No MP has a choice in this vote. The Ghanaian people have already spoken and they’ve told us what they want. If we don’t stop the promotion of LGBTQ+ in the country they will deal with us.”

He indicated that the personal opinions of MPs will not matter in the vote as that will be against the will of Ghanaians. “An MP may be against the bill alright but I doubt they will vote against it. Doing that will be against the will of the people. I will be surprised if we don’t get 100 percent of MPs voting for the passage of the bill.”

The MP championed that the vote for the passage of the bill should be open as it is about the future of Ghana and the next generation. “Every MPs position on the bill must be made openly. It is not a problem if an MP is against the bill but they should be open about it. We want the future generation to pass a judgment on us after this,” he told Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show.

Dr. Emmanuel Marfo who supports the anti-LGBTQ+ bill says he wants his grandchildren to remember him for taking a stance to protect them. “I can assure you that a majority of MPs will vote for the passage of the bill if it is debated on today.”

Eight legislators presented a copy of the draft of the bill to the Speaker of Parliament. This bill is seeking to expand on the current law that provides up to three years in prison for same-sex activity.

The new bill when passed will prohibit and criminalize advocacy, funding and act of LGBTQ+ while promoting conversion therapy programs seeking to “convert” people from homosexuality to heterosexuality.

But to protect the rights of LGBTQ persons in the country, two separate documents were sent to Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs on October 2, making a case against the proposed Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.

The two groups supporting the memorandum are the Human Rights Coalition and a Coalition of Lawyers, Academics and other Professionals.

The coalition says the Bill is in direct conflict with a number of constitutionally protected fundamental freedoms and human rights as well as a number of international human rights instruments to which Ghana is a State Party.