Amnesty International, an international non-governmental organization that focuses on human rights issues across the globe has threatened to challenge the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 in courts when passed by Parliament.
Speaking in a media interview on Wednesday, December 13 2023, the Country Director for Amnesty International Ghana, Genevieve Partington asserted that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 which is currently before Parliament is in contravention with the 1992 Constitution.
According to Madam Partington, the bill in its current form has failed to define who an LGBTQ+ person is, stressing that such a situation would create a lot of confusion in identifying such persons.
“I have always said that Amnesty International completely rejects this bill, it should not exist and criminalizing persons for an activity that happens in their bedroom is actually against international human rights laws. So we should not even be considering it. It is against the 1992 Constitution so all these things we have to consider. For Amnesty International should the bill be passed we will take it to court. As we are allowed to, so that is the agenda we have”.
Genevieve Partington
The Country Director for Amnesty International Ghana further expressed disappointment over the deliberate position by the sponsors of the bill to neglect various concerns it has raised about the bill.
According to her, the bill when passed would put several innocent citizens and foreign nationals in danger due to the numerous lack of clarity that characterizes the bill.
“There is a certain part of the bill that talks about romantic displays of affection. How do you define romantic affection between the same sex? So don’t you see two men holding hands apart from persons within the LGBT community? These are some of the concerns that we have raised from the bill and so many other parts that we have issues with. So it is going to bring homophobia in Ghana. Now that Ghana gives visas on arrival tourists may be wrongly arrested. Persons suspected to be LGBTQ+ are being forced from their houses, landlords and landlords are going through a forced eviction process.
Genevieve Partington
Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill And Indiscriminate Police Arrest
Moreover, Madam Genevieve Partington, the Country Director for Amnesty International Ghana indicated that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 when passed into law would subject persons alleged to be associated with LGTBQ+ community to indiscriminate arrest by the police.
She further noted that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 when passed into law will not only affect persons within the LGBTQ+ community, but it will equally affect every citizen of Ghana, hence the need for all Ghanaians to express concerns about the nature of the bill
“It will instigate a lot of discrimination and will push the powers of the Police, already Police exert some form of power over its citizens so this is going to give the Police another excuse to act differently and target a certain population. Now, if you are walking a certain way, or if you wear your hair a certain way or wear a certain kind of shoes you can be targeted as an LGBTQ+ member and that is a very dangerous thing”.
Genevieve Partington
Madam Genevieve Partington, the Country Director for Amnesty International Ghana concluded by lauding the Office of the Attorney General and the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice for demonstrating courage to state their reservations about the bill.
She prayed that since Parliament had identified some ‘potholes’ in the bill, Members of Parliament must decide not to consider the approval of the bill.
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