Addressing the Ghanaian community in Côte d’Ivoire, the Speaker declared that the bill would be passed, even at great personal cost.
“I am going to write and send it to the new Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for his comments so that we can resend it to the new president for his assent. It will not take a long time—it will be passed this year. We will pass it. It is anti-God. Nobody should joke with me when it comes to this area. I can lose my life because of this. It is better not to live than to live in a society where man marries man and woman marries woman. What is that?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, President John Mahama recently declared that the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, is effectively “dead” after failing to receive presidential assent before the end of the previous parliament.
During a meeting with the Catholic Bishops, President Mahama explained that the bill’s failure provides an opportunity for a more inclusive conversation on the matter.
“I believe we should have a conversation about it again so that, if we decide to move the bill forward, it is done with broader consensus,” he stated.
The President suggested that the bill should be reintroduced as a government-sponsored bill rather than a private member’s bill to ensure wider support and consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
“It probably should be a government bill, with the government backing it after thorough consultation with all the stakeholders to determine the best way to move it forward,” he proposed.
Additionally, President Mahama emphasized the importance of teaching family values through education rather than relying solely on legislation.
“If we teach our values in schools, we won’t need a bill to enforce our family values. Instead of passing the family values bill, we should focus on agreeing on a curriculum that instills these values in our children as they grow up, so that legislation isn’t necessary,” he explained.
The President expressed his eagerness for further discussions on the issue and looked forward to a review conference aimed at reaching a consensus.
“I am looking forward to this review conference to come to a consensus on some of these issues,” he concluded.
"I’d Rather Die Than Accept LGBTQ+ Practices" – Speaker Bagbin Vows to Pass Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
— Rightify Ghana (@RightifyGhana) January 25, 2025
Speaker of ParliamentAlban Bagbin has doubled down on his commitment to ensuring the passage of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, declaring that it will pass even if it comes at great personal cost pic.twitter.com/i2hQQZwECf
