Josiah
The Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has retracted his proposed amendments to the bill concerning the promotion of proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.
This decision follows the House’s rejection of two of his proposals, which aimed to substitute imprisonment with community service for those found guilty of engaging in LGBT activities. Additionally, Afenyo-Markin withdrew a new amendment suggesting mandatory counseling on human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values as a post-conviction sentence.
The contentious anti-gay bill has sparked controversy since its introduction in Parliament, with human rights groups arguing that it would infringe on the rights of the LGBT community in Ghana.
On February 8, Parliament approved a three-to-five-year jail term for individuals intentionally promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ+ activities, with those caught in the act facing a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years in prison.
During the bill’s amendment process, Afenyo-Markin contended that punitive measures wouldn’t contribute to the rehabilitation of offenders. He expressed concerns about the condition of the country’s prisons, emphasizing their inability to provide adequate rehabilitation for offenders. As an alternative, the Effutu lawmaker proposed replacing a minimum two-month imprisonment sentence with a minimum one-month community service for individuals found guilty of LGBTQ+ activities.
