Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has withdrawn his proposed amendments to the contentious bill on the promotion of proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.
This decision follows the House’s rejection of two key proposals aimed at replacing imprisonment with community service for those involved in LGBTQ+ activities.
The bill, which has sparked heated debate since its introduction, faced further scrutiny during the amendment process. Two of Afenyo-Markin’s proposals, which sought to replace imprisonment with community service and introduce mandatory counseling post-conviction, were met with opposition and subsequently withdrawn.
Critics of the bill, including human rights groups, argue that it would infringe upon the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in Ghana. Despite this opposition, Parliament recently approved harsh penalties for promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ+ activities, with offenders facing a three-to-five-year jail term.
During the deliberations on the proposed amendments, Afenyo-Markin emphasized the need for rehabilitation rather than punitive measures for offenders. He raised concerns about the state of the country’s prisons and their inability to provide adequate rehabilitation services.
The Effutu lawmaker’s proposal to replace imprisonment with community service aimed to address these concerns by offering an alternative to incarceration.
However, the rejection of this proposal underscores the ongoing divide within Parliament over the appropriate response to LGBTQ+ issues in Ghana.