• Parliament continues to receive pressure concerning the anti-gay bill
• The Chair of the Constitutional and Legal Committee says they will not be intimidated
• The Church of Pentecost had said they will vote out any political party that stands against the bill
As pressure builds up for parliament to relax its stance or completely bow to the calls for the rejection of the anti-gay bill before it, Kwame Anyimadu Antwi, the Chairman of Parliament’s Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee, has stated that they will not be bullied.
Just this past week, there have been a total of 124 submitted memoranda to the Committee, against the bill, reports myjoyonline.com.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin has since tasked the Committee to review the bill and present a report to the plenary when the House resumes its third sitting of the eighth parliament later this month.
The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 was presented to the Speaker on June 29, 2021, and got laid on Monday, August 2, 2021, for its first reading.
The Bill being sponsored by the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George, wants the promotion, advocacy, funding, and acts of homosexuality to be criminalized in the country.
Among the large groups that have openly shown support for the bill has been the Church of Pentecost, who within the past week, presented a memorandum to the committee, led by their Chairman, Apostle Eric Nyamekye.
This was supported by the signatures of a number of its church members, sending its strongest caution yet to the government regarding the legislation against LGBTQ+ and their related activities in Ghana.
Apostle Eric Nyamekye had indicated that the church would vote against any political party that stands against the passage of the bill. This Kwame Anyimadu Antwi said is a threat and which will not be countenanced.
“That is a threat, and we will not take that. We will not be intimidated by what they are saying to pass the law. But, having received over 100 and something petitions, which do we ignore?” he said.
Meanwhile, 18 prominent people have rejected the proposed anti-gay bill in parliament.