Politics of Saturday, 2 March 2024

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Anti-LGBT+ bill: NPP will be branded as a pro-gay party if Akufo-Addo refuses to sign – Foh Amoaning

Lawyer Moses Foh-Amoaning Lawyer Moses Foh-Amoaning

In the wake of parliament's recent approval of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the Anti-LGBT+ bill, Moses Foh-Amoaning, the Executive Secretary of the National Coalition for Human Sexual Rights, has expressed confidence that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will sign the bill into law.

Foh-Amoaning believes that the political implications of the president's decision could brand the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as a pro-gay party if he refuses to sign.

Speaking on 3FM's SunRise on February 29, he highlighted the potential strategy of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.

According to him, if President Akufo-Addo declines to sign the bill, the NDC could exploit the opportunity to portray the NPP as a party supporting homosexuality, using it as a tool to gain political capital.


“Well, the president is a very smart politician, and what I’ve told everybody who asked me this question is, first of all, there’s no president who has ascended the presidency of Ghana who has used the word of God more than this president.

“So, the point I’m trying to make is, with all that I know about the president, I know he will sign this bill.

“If he refuses to sign, it would be very easy for the NDC, [they] will just package the NPP as Trumu Trumu party,” onuaonline.com quoted him to have said during the interview.

The object of the Bill is to provide for proper human sexual rights and Family Values, which prohibits lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBT+), and related activities.

The Bill currently proscribes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Persons caught in these acts would be subjected to six months to three-year jail term with promoters and sponsors of these acts bearing a three to five-year jail term.

The Bill will now require presidential assent to come into force.

AM/GA

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