The Assin South Member of Parliament, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, says there is “nothing new” in the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, arguing that the legislation largely reflects existing laws in Ghana.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Mr. Fordjour said many Ghanaians do not fully understand the contents of the bill and are instead reacting to public commentary about it.
“Ghanaians didn’t say they wanted any new law at all, not just that one. So if you hear that the law was passed in 2024, how many people in Ghana were able to read what was in the law? Maybe only a few people actually know,” he said.
He argued that public discussions around the bill are often based on misinformation, rather than the actual content of the legislation.
“Now all they have heard is that people are saying the LGBTQ+ bill that the NPP couldn’t pass has now been passed. That is not the case,” he stated.
According to him, Ghana’s existing legal framework already criminalises same-sex marriage and related acts, making the new bill largely repetitive.
“What people are talking about in the country is what the laws should protect to resolve the issue. The acts being discussed are already addressed in our laws,” he explained.
He further argued that public awareness of the issue has, in his view, contributed to its promotion.
“The issue is the announcement and public discussion, which everyone now wants to know about. That in itself is not good because it promotes the act,” he added.
Mr. Fordjour also noted that same-sex relations have long been considered illegal in Ghana.
“For 66 years, we have known that it is a criminal act. It is already in our laws that a woman cannot marry a woman and a man cannot marry a man,” he said.
His comments come amid ongoing scrutiny of the legislative process surrounding the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, including questions about procedural compliance and whether all parliamentary requirements were met.
On June 1, President John Dramani Mahama stated that the bill would require further scrutiny before it could become law, noting that procedural concerns mean “there’s still quite a while to go” before any final decision is made.
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