The ambassador of the United States to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer has reacted after the parliament of Ghana passed the Anti-LGBTQIA+ bill.
In a viral Facebook post, Virginia Evelyn Palmer expressed worry about the passage of the Anti-LGBTQIA+ bill.
The ambassador claims the reason behind her worry is that she knows numerous people who would be affected if the President finally gives his assent to the bill.
She revealed these people are very smart, creative, and decent and that she likes them so much that she cannot stand seeing them being affected.
According to her, after the President gives his assent, it would mean that apart from their basic human right being infringed upon, it will undermine their constitutional rights.
“I am saddened because some of the smartest, most creative, most decent people I know are LGBT. The bill Parliament passed takes away not only their basic human rights, but those of all Ghanaians because it undermines their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of the press,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
“It will be bad for public order and public health. If enacted, it will also hurt Ghana’s international reputation and Ghana’s economy,” she further added.
Reports revealed that the Parliament of Ghana has passed the promotion of human sexual rights and family values bills, known popularly as the Anti-LGBTQIA+ Bill into law.
Per the report, the bill was passed by the Parliament of Ghana after it went through the third reading.
This comes after the Board Chair of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, called President Akufo-Addo to reject the bill.
The bill passed prohibits LGBTQIA+ activities, making it clear that victims are subjected to a 6-month to 3-year jail term with promoters and sponsors of the act bearing a 3 to 5-year jail term.
LGBTQI Advocates Express Their Opinions
Emmanuel Owusu-Bonsu known in the Showbiz fraternity as Wanlov the Kubolor gives reasons why the parliament of Ghana passed the Anti-LGBTQIA+ bill, adding that there is a hidden agenda.
Wanlov claims the real motive behind the passing of the Anti-LGBTQIA+ bill is to make money off the newly built Pentecost prisons.
“Those Pentecost prisons they have built, those three large Pentecost prisons. Right now, if they start arresting the advocates and the abusers because after everything if one goes and beats someone who is a gay they will arrest you because you are not allowed to attack them physically,” he claimed.
The musician claimed people have invested so much in the newly established prisons to get their money back with profit, adding that the leaders in the country decided to imprison a certain group of people.
“Right now the only person, or the only body that will benefit from that law is whoever has invested money in the prisons they have built. So I see that the people sat and planned and decided to farm a certain group of Ghanaians. Farm them like animals, put them into prisons, and make money from them. Through the government, they can make money. Apart from that they can use them to do full work,” he stated.
Also, Musician Sister Derby lamented the passage of the Promotion of Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.
In a post on X, the musician sarcastically quizzed if the passage of the bill would address the numerous problems of the country.
“The passage of the bill will fix the roads, build hospitals and schools, ensure that there’s potable water in every community, clean all the polluted rivers, stop Galamsey, provide jobs for the youth, solve the plastic pollution menace, take the kids off the streets and also solve light off issue lmao,” Deborah Vanessa tweeted.
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