Member of Parliament (MP) representing the South Dayi constituency in the Volta Region, Hon. Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has lamented about the number of young men who are forced into homosexuality in Ghana’s prisons.
He made this statement in an interview via phone on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ show with Don Kwabena Prah on Happy 98.9FM.
“Some individuals forcefully learn homosexuality in prison, especially young boys who are imprisoned for petty theft,” he revealed.
According to him, these young boys are bullied into having sexual intercourse with older men they met in prison. “These older men take advantage of them in the night,” he said.
He bemoaned how with time they adapt to this situation when it is usually not in their best interest.
“These boys are willing to come out of it once they are released from prison but they find it difficult to,” he cried out.
He concluded that such individuals should be allowed to go through rehabilitation, psychological treatment and counseling.
Background
Earlier this year, the Speaker of Parliament received a private member bill from some MPs that would expand on the current law that provides up to three years in prison for same-sex activity.
Reports have it that the new bill when passed will prohibit and criminalize advocacy, funding and act of LGBTQ+ while promoting conversion therapy programs seeking to “convert” people from homosexuality to heterosexuality.
Meanwhile, fifteen renowned legal, academic and civil society professionals have filled a memorandum challenging the anti-gay legislation submitted to Parliament.
In the memorandum, they contend that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, which seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ and adjacent activities, is an “impermissible invasion of the inviolability of human dignity.”
Some Christian leaders, on the other hand, have submitted a memorandum to Parliament on the Proper Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, endorsing the bill.