General News of Monday, 29 November 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-11-29Don't pollute the focus of this bill with adultery or fornication - Anti-LGBTQ+ sponsors
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi Constituency
• 8 MPs want LGBTQ+ acts criminalized
• Renowned activists and academicians want parliament to reject ‘undemocratic’ anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
• Parliament receives over 100 memoranda on LGBTQ+ bill
Sponsors of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, also known as
Read full articlethe anti-LGBTQ+ bill, has said the subject of adultery and fornication should not be brought into discussions about the approval of the anti-LGBTQ+bill.
According to Rockson Dafeamakpor, the issue of adultery and fornication has already been provided for under the Matrimonial Causes Act.
He, therefore, advised that the issue of adultery should not be brought into discussions about the bill that seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ acts.
Taking their turn to speak about the bill to the committee, Rockson Dafeamekpor said, “The question has been asked whether or not we would be amenable to adding something including adultery and all that, adultery is already provided for under our matrimonial clauses act section 2 thereabout. I am saying that it is already provided. If this house comes to the determination that you want to criminalize adultery it is right for the proponent to propose it, and whether this house will adopt it, that is fine but our bill is not addressing adultery and that is not the focus of this bill. Nobody should pollute the focus of this bill with adultery or fornication.”
Sam George who appeared with Rockson Dafeamekpor added that if there is the need to criminalize adultery, parliament consists of 274 members, anyone could pick it up as a private member bill.
“If you want it expanded to include that, there is still 267 that could do that, the honourable Ursula Owusu could pick up a private member bill on adultery and fornication. I have not come across any group of adulteries or fornicators who are asking for society to recognize their rights to adultery. They are apples and oranges.”
The Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Parliament today, continued a series of public hearings on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, also known as the LGBTQ+ bill.
This comes after the suspension of the first hearing on Thursday, November 11, 2021, due to time constraints.
The Chairman of the Committee, Kwame Anyimadu, said eight persons or organizations will appear before the Committee today, Monday, November 29, 2021.
Background LGBTQ+ bill
A team of 8 MPs led by Samuel Nartey George have jointly submitted a private bill to push for the criminalization of LGBTQI+ activities in the country.
The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 was laid in the House on Monday, August 2 and read for the first time.
Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako, subsequently referred the Bill to the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Committee for consideration.
He urged the public to submit memoranda on the bill.
It is based on this a group of 18 renowned lawyers, academicians and other professionals sent a memorandum to parliament for the bill to be thrashed, stating that it violates the fundamental human right guaranteed in the constitution.
Ghanaians have, however, bashed them for their position against the bill but they have clarified that their call for the bill to be thrashed is based on the fact that it violates all the fundamental human rights in the constitution and not that they are in support of gayism and lesbianism.
