A group of fifteen Ghanaian opinion leaders sent a memorandum to parliament calling for the cancellation of the anti-LGBTQ bill because they believe it violates most basic human rights.
In a memorandum glimpsed by our editorial staff, this group contains, which contains mostly renowned personalities, among whom there are lawyers and professors, said that the bill violates essential fundamental freedoms under the constitution.
The group lobbying parliament for this includes Professors Kofi Gyimah-Boadi, Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh, Kwame Karikari, Audrey Gadzekpo and Akoto Ampaw, Dzodzi Tsikata, H. Kwasi Prempeh.
The others are Dr Rose Kutin-Mensah, Dr Yao Graham, Kwasi Adu-Amankwah, Dr Kojo Asante, Akunu Dake, Tetteh Homerku-Adjei, Prof Raymond Atuguba and Kofi Ofei- Nkansah.
“With all due respect, the provisions of the LGBTQ+ Bill, are not becoming of the Parliament of our Republic. Our Parliament, celebrated rightfully, as a critical player in Ghana’s much-lauded constitutional democracy, ought not to become party to a fanatical crusade of intolerance and extremism in the 21* century. The Bill violates the right to inviolability of the person.” they stated in the memo.
“It violates virtually all the key fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, namely the right to freedom of speech and expression; the right to freedom of thought, conscience and belief; the freedom to practice (which includes the freedom not to practice any religion); the right to assemble, including the freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations; the freedom of association and the right to organize- in essence the fundamental human rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution,” they added.
The document also tried to respond to those who claim the defence of Ghanaian cultural values:
“The sponsors of the Bill conveniently refuse to acknowledge that not all of our cultural and traditional “values” can stand up to the demands of inclusiveness, diversity, and fundamental rights within a democratic republic such as Ghana.”
“For instance, traditional Ghanaian values do not fully accept persons with disability as persons having full and equal rights as those without disability.The custom and values of some communities, especially in the past, considered twins as an abomination, with the result that they, by custom and tradition, had to be killed as evil, just like how the Bill’s sponsors consider LGBTQ+ persons inhuman and as evil.”
Instead, read the full version of the memo below:
Source: AfrikPage