The Akatsi South Member of Parliament, Bernard Ahiafor has strongly defended the controversial Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.

Arguing his point on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, when the bill was laid for the second time, Mr Ahiafor said the activities of the LGBTQ+ community cannot be encouraged in any manner.

“Mr Speaker, with all the beautiful women around, we should be encouraged to be getting married – a stiff body getting married to another stiff body?

“A woman with a soft body getting married to another woman with a soft body, it will not match,” he added.

https://myjoyonline.com/anti-lgbtq-bill-laid-for-the-second-time-in-parliament-but-speaker-hints-at-hurdle/

He made reference to the Bible in Genesis where Eve – a female was created for Adam - a male to help multiply and fill the earth.

“God in his own wisdom never created Adam and Adam. You and I will not be on earth if a man is married to another man and a woman is married to another woman. Mr Speaker, we will not even have you as a Speaker. Mr Speaker, I will not even be standing here,” he added.

According to the legislator, countries that have legalised LGBT activities are sitting on a time bomb and will be extinct in 50 years’ time.

He added that the countries would be forced to start taking labour from countries not practicing LGBT.

Mr Ahiafor indicated that he is in support of the bill because it does not violate any provision of the 1992 Constitution.

According to him, with the revised version of the bill, the anti-proponents will not be able to pinpoint the exact provision that infringes on their fundamental human rights.

“Mr Speaker, this is a law that should even be passed under the certificate of urgency to proscribe the activities of the LGBT community,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, the controversial bill has been hit with a number of legal actions with the latest suit announced on Tuesday, July 4, 2023, in a bid to prevent its passage.

There has been unanimous consent by all 275 Members of Parliament for the passage of the bill currently before Parliament.

This follows months of public debate and ratification of the document by legislators and other stakeholders since its introduction in 2021.

Background

The controversial LGBT bill is a private member's bill that was presented to Speaker Alban Bagbin on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. It is being spearheaded by 8 MPs.

The proponents want the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalised in the country.

Although the Bill is in Parliament, the LGBTQ+ conversation was reignited during US Vice President, Kamala Harris’ visit to Ghana.