Anti-LGBTQ Bill: Sam George accuses Majority of deliberate attempt to frustrate passage

Proponents of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the Anti-LGBT Bill, are fuming over the inability of Parliament to take the bill at its consideration stage on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

The Bill, which proscribes the promotion, advocacy, campaigning for, and any other activity that fosters the act, has been in Parliament for almost three years but has not been moved.

Despite the severe punishment stated in the bill to be meted out to such persons, the bill, however, will provide for the protection and support of children and persons who are victims or accused of LGBT and its related activities.

During proceedings in Parliament on Wednesday, when the bill was supposed to be taken, the House was unable to do so due to the absence of the Chairman of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, Kwame Ayimadu-Antwi.

Meanwhile, one of the sponsors of the bill, who is the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, who was furious over the directive, said the move was a calculated attempt to frustrate the Bill since this is the third time the Speaker has given a directive about it and it has been floated.

“This is not the first time the Speaker has given such an instruction, and it has been disregarded in his absence. We need to understand from the majority side what their issues with the bill are. We need to understand those who take the chair when the speaker gives the instruction and what their position on the bill is.

“We are very aware of people in leadership from the majority side who are reaching out to sponsors of the bill, asking us to step down the bill. Is that why the majority side is fighting against the bill? The excuse given today that the Chairman of the Committee is not in the Chamber, so we can’t take the amendment is alien to the practice of this House because the Ranking Member (RM) was present,” Sam George fumed.

He couldn’t come to terms with why the ranking member stands in for the chairman for government bills, but the same cannot be done for private members bills.

“Even in government bills, when the Chairman is not present, the Ranking Member can take the amendment that stands in the name of the Chairman because the Amendments Committee always stands in the name of the Chairman,” he said.

He alleged that some of the MPs from the majority caucus have been influenced by the LGBT community.

“Those who have gone and gotten influenced by persons who have an interest in the LGBTQ should return whatever influence they have collected because we’ll fight, and the next time we address the media, I’ll mention names. I’ve been impressed today by my co-members not to mention names, and it’s out of respect for them that I’m not mentioning names,” he threatened.