The Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament is considering effecting another change to the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values.

According to the chairman of the committee, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, the committee plans to include health facilities dedicated to the rehabilitation of LGBTQ+ people.

Speaking to JoyNews, he said “we are going to look at the amendment that we have made and the speaker prompted us that he may refer it back to us. For instance, the proposal that the person had practiced and owned up to rehabilitation and the person will want to go to the hospital.”

On the back of this, the Asante Akim Central MP explained that this amendment will include Christian and Moslem hospitals to help in the reintegration of LGBTQ+ people into society.

“Health facilities from all the churches and Moslem communities, they have the health facilities and we want to bring them on board. We as a committee will have to meet them and take a decision on that,” he said.

Again, when asked about the status of the lawsuit against the bill, he said the committee will proceed with its work since it is yet to be notified about the pending case in court.

“I have not had any hint about this case so when I am proceeding, I will proceed on this case. I have not had any hint and nobody has prompted me that this will not allow me to proceed, I can not on my own, I am hearing it on you for the second time that there is a case in court but I have not seen it,” he said.

The bill which has come to be known as anti-LGBTQ+ has come under scrutiny from some sections of the public and went through a second reading in Parliament on June 5, 2023.

However, on the floor of parliament, there were interested arguments on the importance of passing the bill.

Anti-LGBTQ+ debate: We won’t have you as Speaker if God created man for man – Akatsi South MP

Some legislators argued that the Speaker would not be who he is if his parents were homosexuals, while another sent a warning to the US to stay out of Ghana’s decision to pass the bill.

If US sanctions us over LGBTQ, we’ll impede their economic interests – Sam George warns

By the close of the day, all 275 legislators unanimously agreed that the bill be passed into law.

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.