The ‘Big 18’ and Human Rights Coalition have together commended Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson on his call for the non-criminalization of persons within the LGBTQ community in the country.
The group in a joint statement also lauded the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Effutu in the Central Region, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo Markin for supporting the calls by the venerable, Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson.
According to the ‘Big 18’ and the Human Rights Coalition, it welcomes the position of the two individuals as it aligns with the coalition’s original objections to the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill.
“The Big 18 and the Human Rights Coalition welcome the recent statement made by Cardinal Peter Appiah Turkson, during an interview on BBC’s HardTalk programme aired on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, and the concurring statement made by the Deputy Majority Leader, Honorable Alex Afenyo-Markin, that sexual minorities should not be criminalized nor imprisoned, as proposed in the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2021 (the “Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill”), because they have committed no crime”.
The Big 18 and Human Rights Coalition
The group further asserted that the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill violates key fundamental human rights provisions in the country’s 1992 Constitution as the bill in its current form seeks to infringe on, among others, the rights to dignity, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to partake in processions, academic freedom, and non-discrimination of persons within the LGBTQ community.
Again, the statement noted that such rights and freedoms constitute the ‘bedrock’ of any constitutional democracy, and the attempt to ‘tinker’ with them will set a dangerous precedent for the country’s democracy and must be of great concern to all Ghanaians.
Furthermore, the group denounced what it described as an assertion by the proponents of the Anti-LGBTQ+Bill that because the majority of Ghanaians are ‘allegedly’ in favour of the bill, it is, therefore, justifiable for parliament to pass the bill into law.
According to the group, human rights are not dependent on majority approval or disapproval, hence it is therefore untenable for the proponent of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to cite such an argument.
“Rights are the pillars upon which democracy rests to prevent the tyranny of the majority. Depending on where we find ourselves, and on any given issue, we can all experience the feeling of being minorities. The rights guaranteed in the Constitution are therefore our only protector from majoritarian tyranny”.
he Big 18 and Human Rights Coalition
Group Warns Against The Creation Of A Single Cultural Value System In The Country
Moreover, the ‘Big 18’ and the Human Rights Coalition strongly warned against any attempt by some members of the public, particularly some religious leaders to create a ‘single cultural value system’ in the country
According to the group, Ghana is a secular and multi-religious country with over 50 ethnic groups with different cultural practices and beliefs, hence any attempt to create a single cultural value system for the country would erase the beautiful cultural ‘mosaic’ that makes the country and its people unique.
The statement recounted that it is for such reason that the country’s 1992 Constitution abolishes all practices and laws that are ‘injurious’ to people’s health and well-being, even in the name of culture and traditions.
“We are aware that some religious communities may find LGBTQ+ activities offensive and classify them as sinful. It is within their right to freedom of thought and religious practice to take such a stance. However, Ghana’s secular democratic organization allows and encourages diversity and inclusivity. This is the reason why when the Constitution makes provisions for, among other things, freedom of religion, it does not prescribe nor impose a singular religious faith on the country but allows for people to profess, belong to, and adopt their religion of choice.
Any attempt to criminalize what some regard as a sin through the instrumentality of the State violates the long-standing principle of separation of Church and State, and would constitute a state-sanctioned imposition of the religious views of one segment of the Ghanaian society on others who may not share them. The recent crusade against LGBTQ+ persons that has been championed by many religious communities in Ghana, has not been one of compassion, contrary to what their professed religious doctrines constantly preach”.
The Big 18 and Human Rights Coalition
In addition, the group indicated that the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill which is currently before Parliament violates Article 108 of the 1992 Constitution which prohibits private members’ bills that impose a charge on the public purse.
The group thus accused the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Honorable Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin of being fueled by his ‘self-proclaimed’ bias towards LGBTQ+ persons which has ultimately led to the violation of the 1992 Constitution.
The group therefore urged Parliament to acknowledge the various concerns which have been raised by many well-meaning Ghanaians including, Cardinal Peter Appiah to reconsider the enactment of such a ‘harmful’ bill that would not only violate several provisions of the 1992 Constitution but would also open up Ghana to economic sanctions from international organizations and other governments across the globe.
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