The Chairperson of the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, has criticised the passage of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, known as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, by Parliament.

She disagrees with Parliament's claim that some amendments were made to the bill after its passage, asserting that no evidence of such amendments has been observed.

According to her, the bill lacks transparency.

Read also: Parliament unanimously passes Anti-LGBTQ+ bill

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, March 2, Prof Gadzekpo said that her position on the bill has nothing to do with amendments but because the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill is "flawed and unconstitutional."

She explained that the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) opposing the bill are not concerned for their own sake but are apprehensive about the potential repercussions for the country's democracy.

“We are saying that the bill is against constitutional provisions that we don’t discriminate on the basis of a lot of issues including gender.

“We are saying that the fact that the majority of Ghanaians may want something does not mean that they have to be given that if it goes against the prime document of the land which is the constitution,” she said.

Prof Gadzekpo further emphasised that every bill must conform to the constitution and constitutional provisions, arguing that the CSOs having gone through all the clauses of the bill, “We think fundamentally, it does not conform to the constitutional provision.”

She stressed that the constitution safeguards Ghanaians from discrimination without specifying protection solely for heterosexual individuals.

“The constitution said we will protect all Ghanaians against discrimination… And the Commissioner for Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice articulated it quite clearly that you can’t use principles of cultural values to enact laws in this country and so on those bases, we just have problems with the bill,” Prof Gadzekpo said.