Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, a member of parliament representing Ablekuma West and the minister of communications, has given her support to the anti-LGBTQI bill that is presently in the legislature. She stated that the bill’s criminalization of sex toys shouldn’t be taken into consideration.
The MP claims that heterosexual couples who use sex toys to improve their sex lives will unintentionally be impacted by the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021’s clause 3(c), which criminalizes using sex toys.
The bill’s clause 3(c) forbids sexual relations between a woman and an inanimate object or between a man and one.
Speaking on the House floor, Ursula Owusu said that if the criminalization of sex toys is the House’s goal, then Parliament must make it plain that the bill targets everyone, not just members of the LGBT community.
“And I think we raised this when the committee was considering it that the proposed amendment in 3(c) may create unintended consequences because sexual intercourse between a man and an inanimate object or between a woman and an inanimate object would necessarily include sexual intercourse with all manner of aids that couple use to enhance the sexual experience.
“And I’m not sure if that’s what the intention of this bill is. It would necessarily include sex toys and other aids that couples, especially heterosexual couples, also use to enhance their sexual experience.
“So if that is what the house intends, then we have to be clear in our minds that we may be criminalizing activities, which may not necessarily be limited to only those LGBTQI communities that the target of this bill is, but it may also be targeting straight couples who use sex enhancement tools to enhance their sexual experience.
“So we need to be mindful of the unintended consequences of 3(c), and I’ll propose that 3(c) be deleted from this amendment,” she noted.
If the Ghanaian Family Values Bill and the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights Bill are approved, being gay, transgender, or queer would be crimes with a five-year maximum prison sentence.
The Parliament’s decision is anticipated to put an end to the heated discussion concerning the legalization or non-legalization of LGBTQI+ people in Ghana.
