The President of the National House of Chiefs, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, has observed that there are gaps in the legal and policy framework which makes it deficient to adequately deal with the LGBTQI phenomenon and has called for a holistic national policy response to the undesirable phenomenon.
He said although prevailing laws in the country show that the LGBTQI has no legal status in Ghana, pro-LGBTQI activism exists, hence “there is an upsurge in the promotion of LGBTQI philosophy, practice and activities in recent times”.
Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi made these observations when he chaired the fourth national dialogue series on LGBTQI organised by the National Coalition For Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values last week Friday, in Kumasi.
The theme was ‘Creating an Afrocentric response to LGBTQI phenomenon: the Ghanaian experience with a bipartisan private member’s bill’.
The Paramount Chief of SefwiAnhwiaso Traditional Area and also Council of State member explicitly stated that “anybody’s rights are subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest. LGBTQI is not in the public interest in Ghana because our culture as a people abhors homosexuality in all its form”.
OgyeahohoGyebi said it is unfortunate that the Western donor countries “unalloyed commitment to passionately push the LGBTQI rights philosophy in Africa in particular and the world in general, has caused them to embark on a number of questionable advocacy tactics,” including proffered intimidating maneuvers in the form of threats, tying aid to LGBTQI rights and “bullying tactics to reform the African mentality in favour of the LGBTQI right concept”.
The traditional ruler, therefore, charged the coalition to find answers to a number of questions on the LGBTQI practice to help the country holistically deal with this “obnoxious phenomenon of gayism and come out stronger as a united country, focused on a single purpose of a better Ghana”.
Sam George, the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram was emphatic that homosexuality is not a human rights issue in the country, but people engaged in the practice have human rights.
The lawmaker said the Private Member’s Bill is almost ready and would be laid before parliament by the end of June. He gave the assurance that there is definitely going to be a legislation by the end of the year 2021 which criminalises homosexuality in all forms in the country and all activities relating to the practice, including its funding.
He mentioned some categories of vulnerable groups who are simply victims of homosexuality due to economic reasons and explained that the advocacy is not to intimidate or lynch the homosexuals, but to treat them fairly as the laws of the land stipulates and also to protect the sanctity of our culture and society.
Prof. Kwasi Osei, the CEO of Mental Health, in an elaborate presentation attributed the practice to a learned or acquired behaviour through peer pressure, adventurism or curiosity, situational induction as in ‘supisupi’ in girls’ schools, economic reasons as in commercial sex work and aversion or hatred for the opposite sex as a result of rape or abuse by men.
There were solidarity messages from the ministries of Chieftaincy, Culture and Tourism, Attorney General and Justice, Health, Gender, Children and Social protection, Moslem representatives and the local council of churches.
From Thomas Agbenyegah Adzey, Kumasi
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