There was apparent confusion for LGBTQ+ advocates, the Interfaith Diversity Network for West Africa at the third public hearing on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.
The group made a presentation on Thursday, February 17, 2022, in defence of homosexuality and condemned the motives of the Bill and the activities it seeks to criminalize.
However, when Mr. Davis Mac-Iyalla who represented the Network and made the presentation was asked to mention the activities that the Bill is seeking to criminalize, he got confused and appeared not to be aware of these activities.
Ranking Member of the Committee and also MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor posed the question, “Now, I have a general question for you. Any member that can help me out, I will be very grateful. We have been talking about LGBTQ activities, which you say generate a right and the law seeks to violate those rights.”
“Can you itemise the activities of the LGBTQ, the rights that they generate and how the Bill seeks to violate those rights?”
In response, however, Mr. Mac-lyalla mentioned freedom from torture and ill-treatment and freedom for medical care but was interrupted by the Ranking member.
He said, “First you have to tell me, these are the activities of the LGBTQ and these activities culminate into these rights and the bill seeks to violate those rights so that if we are looking at clause by clause, we’ll be guided by that.”
“Because your position is to assist us to come out with good law. I always maintain that the Bill as it is, may not come to law the way it is, the Committee is going to work on it but your presentation will have to guide us. That is why I’m asking this question,” he added.
The confused Interfaith Diversity Network representative, however, failed to mention the LGBTQ activities that the law is seeking to criminalize but insisted every human being is entitled to a right to life, shelter, education and association.
“These are the rights and activities of LGBTQ every day. They want to work, they want to have shelter, they want to go to school and be able to get their birth certificates and all those things.”
“This Bill, if it goes the way it is, it will disturb these activities, which are the very basic life rights of LGBTQ persons as individuals. That is my take on it,” he stated.
Source: Mypublisher24.com