Assin South MP and principal sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, has strongly criticised the version of the legislation recently passed by Parliament, describing it as a significantly altered and weakened form of the original bill.

The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which was re-passed on May 29, 2026, provides for penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment for individuals who identify as LGBTQ+.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on Tuesday, June 2, called for further engagement with both the Majority and Minority leadership after concerns emerged over the process that led to the passage of the bill.

Speaking on Newsfile, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP said the amended bill, passed on May 29, 2026, no longer reflects the intent of the earlier version passed in 2024.

According to him, the bill went through 22 deletions and 31 insertions during committee consideration, resulting in what he described as a fundamentally different legislative text.

“They have changed it extensively, and what we have today is materially different from what was passed in 2024,” he said.

“You cannot subject a bill to 22 deletions and 31 insertions and still claim it is the same bill.”

Rev Ntim Fordjour argued that the revised legislation has lost what he described as its “force, bite and deterrent effect,” insisting that the original version provided stronger legal backing to address the issues it targeted.

He called for a restoration of the 2024 version of the bill and challenged the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to explain what necessitated the changes.

The Minority’s concerns are largely centred on exemptions introduced under Clause Nine of the amended bill.

The provision reportedly exempts legal practitioners, journalists, media houses, and health professionals, including medical, psychological and counselling practitioners who engage with individuals identified as LGBTQ+.

Mr Ntim Fordjour argued that these exemptions create what he described as structural loopholes that could undermine the effectiveness of the law.

He maintained that shielding professionals such as lawyers, journalists, academics and health workers from certain aspects of prosecution could weaken enforcement and open room for interpretation challenges.

He also raised concerns about the legislative process, alleging that some amendments were introduced without sufficient transparency and that Minority concerns were not adequately considered during passage.

“The concerns were bulldozed on the floor of Parliament,” he said.

However, the Majority in Parliament has defended the revised bill, with Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga explaining that the amendments were intended to provide clarity and ensure that legitimate professional activities are not criminalised under the law.

According to him, the exemptions are designed to prevent misinterpretation of routine professional duties as promotion of LGBTQ+ activities.