Renowned legal practitioner, Akoto Ampaw has criticised the 'eerie silence' of the proponents of the Promotion of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 on the wave of abuse and attacks on LGBTQ people since the introduction of the bill.
According to him, their refusal to condemn the attacks the LGBTQ community has faced following the bill makes mockery of their assertion that the legislation is meant to protect LGBTQ people.
"We have not heard any condemnation from them, not from the churches, not from the mosques; we think that that is unfortunate, and it exposes the hypocrisy of those provisions of the bill," he said.
Mr Akoto Ampaw, speaking on Thursday at the public hearing on the Promotion of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill in Parliament, based his argument on the provisions that ascribe sanctions to people who assault LGBTQ people.
In section 22 of the bill titled 'Prohibition of extrajudicial treatment', deems a person who either "verbally or physically, abuses, assaults or harasses, a person" of an LGBTQ person of committing a misdemeanour.
That person is liable to a fine "of not less than five hundred penalty units and not more than one thousand penalty units or a term of imprisonment of not less than six months and not more than three years."
But Akoto Ampaw explained that the refusal of the proponents and supporters of the bill to condemn the attacks on the LGBTQ community only exposes the pretence of the provision and adds that if the bill is passed, it will afford no protection for LGBTQ persons.
"Because, we really do know that the Ghana Police is without any education about the rights of LGBT people, if you're an LGBT person and you go to a police knowing the tradition, they're not going to pursue with any seriousness, any such abuse," he said.
Latest Stories
-
Unfortunate ‘dumsor’ era will not return under my presidency – Akufo-Addo to Ghanaians
16 mins -
Medeama’s TnA Stadium nears commissioning after latest update
31 mins -
Fighting Malaria: Volta Region achieves 98% target in treated net distribution
48 mins -
You have a special role in shaping our elections – Akufo-Addo to Ghanaian workers
1 hour -
ECG staff walkout during Ashanti Regional Minister’s speech at May Day event
2 hours -
Seventy percent of SMEs productivity lost to power crises in Central Region
2 hours -
We commend Bawumia for waking others up to come home and develop – Savannah NPP chair
2 hours -
SML-GRA contract – Legal Practitioner counters KPMG findings on parliamentary ratification
2 hours -
Do something about dumsor now – TUC tells Akufo-Addo at May Day event
2 hours -
Viewing Economics from a female lens: Legacy of Ghana’s first female Professor of Econs
2 hours -
Vaccines are safe, get your children immunized against killer diseases – Ghana Health Service
2 hours -
Glovo, five other multinational brands, and why they left Ghana
2 hours -
Narcotics Control Commission seizes 20.5kg of cannabis
2 hours -
One suspect arrested over killing of military officer at Kasoa
2 hours -
Maritime Security Threats: Global collaboration, commitment needed to overcome risks – Akufo-Addo
3 hours