Speaker Alban Bagbin has said Ghana will not adopt Uganda’s strict legislative measure against the activities of LGBTQ in the country.
Uganda has made it illegal to practice gay, lesbian etc in the country by passing the Anti-gay bill. Offenders are to be prosecuted and in some instances sentenced to life.
Reacting to the news on the back of rumours surrounding the AntiGya Bill already in Ghana’s parliament, Speaker Bagbin has told the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee of Parliament not to be intimidated by anyone regarding this Bill.
He asked the committee to report back to him if they are encountering any challenges.
“Please, committee members that we referred the Bill to, we want the report, don’t be intimidated by any person.”
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“Please let the report flow, we need to legislate. Our friends just passed their law in Uganda, and we may not go the way they have gone, our Constitution is very clear as to the direction we should move and so we should be guided by that because if we pass any law against the Constitution, it is unconstitutional,” he said during a breakfast meeting with the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship on Tuesday, March 28.
Uganda govt bans LGBTQ, offenders to face death penalty
With the adoption of a new law by parliament to crack down on homosexual activity, Ugandans who identify as LGBT now run the risk of serving life in jail.
It also includes the death penalty in some instances.
A rights activist told the BBC the debate around the measure has led to worry about further attacks on homosexual people.
Although homosexual actions are already prohibited in Uganda, this bill adds numerous new criminal offences.
Friends, family, and community members would be responsible for reporting people in same-sex relationships to the authorities, in addition to making it unlawful for someone to merely identify as gay for the first time.
On Tuesday night, it was approved with broad support in Uganda’s parliament.
Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s director for East and Southern Africa reacted by saying: “This deeply repressive legislation will institutionalise discrimination, hatred, and prejudice against LGBTI people – including those who are perceived to be LGBTI – and block the legitimate work of civil society, public health professionals, and community leaders.”
The final version of the anti-gay bill in Uganda has yet to be officially published, but elements discussed in parliament include:
- A person who is convicted of grooming or trafficking children for the purpose of engaging them in homosexual activities faces life in prison
- Individuals or institutions which support or fund LGBT rights activities or organisations, or publish, broadcast and distribute pro-gay media material and literature, also face prosecution and imprisonment
- Media groups, journalists and publishers face prosecution and imprisonment for publishing, broadcasting, distributing of any content that advocates for gay rights or “promotes homosexuality”
- Death penalty for what is described as “aggravated homosexuality”, that is sexual abuse of a child, a person with a disability or vulnerable people, or in cases where a victim of homosexual assault is infected with a life-long illness
- Property owners also face the risk of being jailed if their premises are used as a “brothel” for homosexual acts or any other sexual minorities rights activities
