General News of Saturday, 8 July 2023

Source: peacefmonline.com

LGBTQ+ is not a 'human right' - Deputy education minister defends Anti-gay bill

Rev. John Ntim Fordjour play videoRev. John Ntim Fordjour

Deputy Minister for Education, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has thrown his support for the anti-LGTBQ+ bill before the Parliament of Ghana.

Parliament has begun debate on the passing of an anti-LGTBQ+ bill into law to prohibit unnatural sexual preferences and activities.

The Parliamentarians on Wednesday, unanimously adopted the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2022” which is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.

The bill is aimed to proscribe lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) and related activities.

The bill, when it comes into force, will make homosexual practices a criminal offence punishable by law and offenders risk going to jail.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin and some members of Parliament like Sam Nartey George; National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Ningo-Prampram, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah; NDC MP for Ho West, Madam Della Adjoa Sowah; NDC MP for Kpando, Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini; NDC MP for Tamale North, and Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Assin South have been championing the bill.

The anti-LGBTQ+ bill which has been accepted by all 275 MPs will now move to the consideration stage, after which it will go through the third reading before it is passed into law.

Defending the bill on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" discussion programme, Rev. Ntim Fordjour stated emphatically that tolerating same-sex relationships will have dire consequences on the nation.

He noted that the bill will place a check on the LGBTQ+ community and prevent their practices as well as prohibit them from inculcating their perverse behaviors into the younger generations.

Rev. Ntim Fordjour also noted that the bill has been designed to complement the constitutional provision against unnatural carnal knowledge between persons and provides a detailed information on how to handle unacceptable sexual behaviors.

"LGBTQ is not a human right. It is a sexual perversion . . . " he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.

"If we allow for any person to do whatever he or she wants and commit to any sexual preference because it won't have bad effects, it is absolutely not true. It will have bad consequences on the country," he added.

Watch video below: