The Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) deems aspects of the controversial anti-gay bill problematic.
The bill, officially known as the Promotion of Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family values bill, 2021 which had been in contention over an unexpected long duration, seeks to rid the country off the involvement in and the promotion of gay activities.
But the Commissioner of the CHRAJ, Joseph Whittal has expressed his reservations about aspects of the bill that implicate sympathizers of the seemingly abhorred community.
The Human Rights advocate contends that barring people from sympathizing with the LGBT community conflicts with the right to freedom of expression. That, he finds problematic.
“We have raised very pertinent concerns on the constitutionality of some of the positions and clauses of the bill. Some of our concerns are being addressed but the key ones that relate to freedom of expression, the right not to sympathize with any person that professes that type of orientation and some institutions having to undertake some education on the bill when it becomes law, we think it is quite problematic,” he expressed.
He has therefore recommended an amendment to such portions of the bill which still remains under consideration in parliament.
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Meanwhile, the Ghana Catholic Bishop’s Conference (GCBC) has commended the passage of the anti-LGBT bill.
According to the association, such and action places the country in the right direction.
It however expressed that the body is not condemning people who indulge in lgbt activies, rather, it is the act that they stand against.
In conclusion, the conference stated that it does not support the criminalization of homosexuals.
Parliament, over a surprising long duration, has been in contention over the passage of the anti-gay bill after signs of an enormous support in the beginning.
Citizens have begun question parliament about the sudden delay or what could be seen as a reluctance to see the bill through.
There seems to be a belief that parliamentarians could be engaged in backdoor deals just to frustrate the process.
The minority caucus has been accusing the majority side for allegedly frustrating the process.
Whereas some human rights advocates have argued on the lines of basic rights of people, therefore calling for the bill to be thrown out, a great section of the public lean towards the concept of morality and religion and thus support the bill.
But rest assured, the bill will be passed, the Speaker, Alban Bagbin stressed during a parliamentary proceeding.
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