Ghana: Religious Ask President to Sign Anti-LGBT Law

As reported on the ACI Africa web site, during their first biannual meeting for the year 2024, which ended on March 15, the CMSR-GH weighed in on the 2021 bill relating to the promotion of “Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values,” adopted by parliament Ghanaian on February 28.

The bill awaits the assent of President Nana Akufo-Addo to become a law that criminalizes the “willful promotion, sponsorship or support of LGBTQ+ activities” in Ghana; Anyone found guilty of forming, defending or financing LGBTQ groups faces a prison sentence of up to five years.

“As consecrated persons, we join our voices to that of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and other bodies in urging the President to sign the recently passed Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill into law,” they said, “alluding to November 17 and December 11 collective statement of the members of the Ghanaian Catholic Bishops Conference.”

The CMSR-GH, bringing together major superiors from the 71 religious institutes of Ghana, explained that it wanted to respect “the constitutional rights of all citizens and all those who live and visit Ghana,”  adding that “issues of public ethics and morality, especially in what touches the family, have always occupied a special place in common legislation.”

“The family, derived from the sexual partnership of male and female, is the bedrock and foundation of any society and should be protected and promoted. We therefore add our voice to the numerous calls for the government to sign the bill into law,” they said, emphasizing the need for President Akufo-Addo to sign the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.

“According to BBC News, President Akufo-Addo has previously said that he would assent to the bill ‘if the majority of Ghanaians want him to.’”