The National House of Chiefs has made it clear that it opposes any initiative that aims to advance LGBTIQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex) issues.
“LGBTQ is evil. We, the chiefs of Ghana, as the custodians of culture, customs, and traditions of our people, wish to state categorically that our traditions and customs recognize only male and female gender and no other gender.
“We declare that we will not allow any group or individual to propagate any course, conduct, or behaviors called LGBTQ.
“This is an abomination, and we declare as immoral and an affront of our cherished values”, President of the House, Ogyeahohor Yaw Gyebi II stated at the General Meeting where they address some key national issues at Manhyia in Kumasi on Thursday July 13
The motion of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliament Committee on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill was approved by Parliament last week.
This came after the Bill’s second reading on Wednesday, July 5.
LGBTQI+ is evil and immoral – National House of Chiefs declare stance #UTVNews pic.twitter.com/O9eANn2DqV
— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) July 14, 2023
The Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, offered the House the chance to discuss the motion following the second reading.
Minister of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development Dan Botwe participated in the discussion and called the behavior of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender (LGBT) people “madness.”
It is a Satanic force, he claimed, and it shouldn’t be allowed to fester in the nation.
According to him, the nation should continue to maintain “eternal vigilance” after the Bill is passed.
Ahmed Ibrahim, the deputy minority chief whip, praised early opponents of homosexuality by mentioning Apostle Opoku Onyinah, the former head of the Church of Pentecost, and Moses Foh-Amoaning, the executive secretary of the National Coalition of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values.
The Ghana Aids Commission’s opposition to the Bill was denounced by him.
On Wednesday, a heated argument between Tamale Central MP Murtal Ibrahim Mohammed and Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West Ursula Owusu-Ekuful caused a brief halt in proceedings.
Sit-in Speaker Andy Asiamah gave the clerk the order to record the conversations in the minutes.
The motion was ultimately approved by the Fomena MP for consideration prior to Third Reading’s concluding stage on the floor.
