The Concerned Citizens Against the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, a bloc of 18 human rights defenders and academicians have expressed disappointment at the silence of mandated state institutions amid the debate on the ‘Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021.’
The Bill christened the anti-gay Bill is currently before Parliament as lawmakers resumed sitting last Tuesday.
At a press conference held on Wednesday, October 27, in Accra, the leader of the group; lawyer Akoto Ampaw mentioned two specific constitutional bodies his group expected to have spoken on the matter.
The two were: the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, CHRAJ, and the National Commission for Civic Education, NCCE.
“We have observed with dismay the loud silence of state institutions that are constitutionally mandated to promote human rights, democratic citizenship, free speech and responsible media, such as the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice and the National Commission for Civic Education.
“We call on these institutions and individuals to do the right and proper thing by condemning such anti-democratic and illegal practices. We also call on the IGP to invite for questioning all those who have issued threats against members of the LGBTQ community,” he added.
He also challenged chiefs and traditional leaders who have been reported in the media as threatening to banish LGBTQ+ persons living under their jurisdiction, he said they have no such rights under the Constitutional democracy Ghana, a secular nation, was practising.
“[There are] Media reports that some traditional rulers have threatened to kill anyone caught in so-called gayism, banish them from their traditional areas or perform ritual rights against them.
“We want to emphasize that Ghana is a democratic secular republic and our chiefs, revered as they are, do not have any legitimate and constitutionally recognized power to expel anyone from their traditional area or to restrict the liberty and freedom of movement of persons,” he added.