Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the communications minister, has backed the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill currently before parliament as part of debate on the report presented by the committee on constitutional and legal affairs to the House, July 5.
She added that the Bill captures the sentiment and expectation of the wider society and the work of the committee in cleaning it up and refining it to respect the rights of all Ghanaians was commendable.
In her submission, the minister claimed that despite the processes aimed at criminalizing same-sex relations, it was her view that homosexuals have always existed in our communities.
She explained that to the extent that there was a name for people engaged in same-sex relations in the different local languages, then indeed those people undoubtedly existed.
“As members of this House, as has been indicated, all of us are in favour and have sworn to protect the values that makes us uniquely Ghanaian, and that includes our cultural and social values.
“In every community in this country, we know of somebody who is a homosexual and that is why our language has a description for that purpose. If our language has a description for a person, it means it exist unless we are disputing that,” she added.
Ursula emphasized the point about respecting rights of Ghanaians and the need to enact laws that at every point protects fundamental rights and respects the Constitution.
Parliament on July 5 received and started debate on the Bill properly called: Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
This proposed legislation aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities, prohibit the promotion or advocacy of such activities, and ensure the protection and support of children and individuals affected by LGBTQ+ issues.
It received unanimous support when the speaker requested that MPs who wanted to dissent should rise up and make their views known.
