"Nonsense Issue": Sam Okudzeto Says Passage Of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Nonsensical, Inappropriate
- Member of the Council of State, Sam Okudzeto, described the passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill as nonsensical
- According to him, Ghana has too many socio-economic challenges to be intervening in the private affairs of consenting adults
- He said the LGBT issues have no bearing on the Ghanaian economy; thus, the government should focus on other pressing issues
Sam Okudzeto is the latest to wade into the raging anti-LGBTQ+ debate in Ghana.
The member of the Council of State said the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill is nonsensical and utterly inappropriate.
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According to him, the bill, which was unanimously passed on February 28, should not have been proposed to parliament in the first place.
He justified his statement by saying there is no valid reason for the state to intervene in the private affairs of consenting adults.
He noted that individuals are guaranteed personal freedoms and privacy rights under the 19. Thusution, and thus, the government’s scrutiny and regulation of their private affairs is tantamount to an infringement of those rights and freedoms.
In an interview with TV3 on Wednesday, May 8, Sam Okudzeto also questioned how the private affairs of consenting adults could affect the economy.
He noted that the private affairs of individuals do not threaten the economy or deprive others of economic gain, so the government did not have to take an interest in such matters.
Sam Okudzeto also expressed utter disappointment in the clergy for championing the bill.
He questioned the church’s singular focus on homosexuality as a sin deserving of legislative action amongst a myriad of sins listed in the bible.
“All the sins which are listed in the Bible, what have they been doing about it? LGBTQI is the only one they have seen?” he said.
He has urged Ghanaians to focus instead on more pressing issues that need the government’s urgent attention.
He said the anti-LGBTQ+ bill was an unnecessary distraction as the country is plagued with many socio-economic challenges that need solutions.
Passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill
YEN.com.gh reported that the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2021 was passed by a unanimous voice vote in parliament on February 28, 2024.
It criminalises persons who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, advocates and allies of the community, amongst others.
The provisions of the bill stipulate that persons who identify as LGBTQ or engage in same-sex acts could be jailed between three months and three years.
Open allies of the LGBTQ, such as donors, activists, or promoters, could also be jailed between a minimum of three months and a maximum of six months in jail.
The bill’s passage has been met with severe backlash from the international community and human rights groups, who have described it as a threat to Ghana’s democracy.
The bill has been challenged in the Supreme Court of Ghana by two citizens who have prayed the court to declare it unconstitutional, null and void.
President Akufo-Addo has refused to accept the bill until the court settles the challenges.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
