Egoreachweall: Activists Urge Ghanaians To Read The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

• Activists have started a campaign against the draconian anti-LGBTQ+ bill, urging Ghanaians to read it and understand the implications
• The bill, which faced two previous legal challenges at the Supreme Court over its constitutionality, is set to be taken to the Presidency
• In an interview with YEN.com.gh, Kwame Saah, an activist, explained why ordinary Ghanaians should know the bill's content

Across Accra, billboards and trending conversations are urging Ghanaians to 'Read the Bill' - for good reason.

The recent dismissal of Richard Dela Sky’s petition challenging the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has reignited questions about the bill’s far-reaching implications on every individual in the country.

As France24 reported, the Supreme Court’s decision did not address the bill's constitutionality, deeming that petition premature.

While this has removed the immediate hurdle of a pending case, it has also left critical constitutional concerns unresolved.

The President, who previously held off signing the bill pending a court determination, is left without clear guidance on its legality.

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This uncertainty made it even more urgent for Ghanaians to fully understand what the bill entails before it potentially becomes law.

While the question of constitutionality remains unanswered, the President now lacks the clarity he hoped for to proceed.

In an interview with YEN.com.gh, a convener for the #Egoreachweall campaign, Kwame Saah, noted that the bill’s reach goes beyond targeting specific lifestyles.

“It could criminalise everyday interactions and expressions that are seen as inconsistent with proper family values. For example, expressing tolerance for alternative views could result in jail time. If you lend your car to an individual the law deems as violating these values, or let them stay in your home, it could also result in jail time.”

He added that social media posts, radio discussions, or TV content deemed to undermine ‘family values’ could lead to imprisonment of up to 10 years.

Health workers, counsellors, teachers, and even family members will not be spared if they fail to report behaviour that seemingly violates these values or support individuals who violate these values.

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“If you don’t read the bill, you might not realise how it could affect what you say, where you say it, or who you associate with, even if they are within your community,” he stressed.

Saah explained that the campaign urging Ghanaians to engage with the bill promotes the necessary understanding of its implications, as ignorance cannot be excused in a law court.

“This is the time to ask critical questions: What are these “proper family values”? How do they shape the freedoms we take for granted? And what does this mean for us as a society?

“The time to engage is now - because once the bill becomes law, it may be too late to push back, or at the very least, interrogate how or to what extent the bill could impact Ghanaians’ everyday interactions,” he said.

Why Sky’s petition was dismissed

YEN.com.gh reported that the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions challenging the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

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In its summary judgment, the Supreme Court justices said the submitted petition had not properly invoked the court's jurisdiction.

Lawyer Richard Dela Sky and lecturer Dr Amanda Odoi challenged the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, which had stalled its assent for months.

Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh

Source: YEN.com.gh