LGBTQ+ Bill: Our position remains unchanged – Oko Vanderpuije

Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma South Constituency, Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, has reiterated parliament’s stance against the legalization of LGBTQ+ in Ghana.

He indicated that Ghana’s culture has always abhorred same-sex marriage regardless of region and tribe and that will never change.

“Since time immemorial marriage has always been between males and females and nothing else. If someone wants to change that, then Ghana as a country will not accept this. We will go to parliament and do what we have to do to keep our position since time immemorial,” he told Don Kwabena Prah on Happy98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political talk show.

He reiterated that marriage has always been between men and women and anything that contravenes that will not be accepted by Ghanaians. “We will not set laws to support and promote LGBTQ+ in our country. It is against our culture and standards as Ghanaians. If the Americans and Europe want to accept it that is their own piece of cake but we will never agree to it in Ghana.”

In early August, a bill was introduced in parliament to further restrict the rights of LGBT+ people.

It includes criminalizing the defense of LGBT+ rights, a duty to report “suspects”, the promotion of conversion therapy and the imposition of harsher prison sentences for homosexuality.

Fifteen renowned legal, academic and civil society professionals have however filled a memorandum challenging the anti-gay legislation submitted to Parliament.

In the memorandum, they contend that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, which seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ and adjacent activities, is an “impermissible invasion of the inviolability of human dignity.”

To push the anti-LGBTQ+ will be to challenge Ghana’s constitution and democracy, they also argued in the 18-page document.

The Church of Pentecost reacting to this has also sent a strong caution to the government regarding the legislation against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer and their related activities (LGBTQ+) in Ghana.

National Chairman of the Church, Apostle Eric Nyamekye, says his outfit will vote out any political party that stands against the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.