We will close embassies of countries that deny MP’s visas because of anti-LGBTQ bill

The Anti-LGBT Bill which has generated a lot of discussions among Ghanaians has been laid in Parliament.

The Bill, titled, “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021”, has gone through the first reading in Parliament.

The Bill, among others, seeks to strengthen and augment existing legislation on the country’s penal code which criminalizes consensual “unnatural carnal knowledge” with people over the age of 16 years 1ad7 under section 104 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) as amended by Act 646 of 2003.

The bill is expected to ensure that people who engage in homosexual activity could be fined or go to jail for between three to five years.

The law would also make it a crime for any person to identify as a lesbian, gay, transgender, transsexual, queer, pansexual or non-binary (LGBTQ ) and would be punishable by five years in prison.

It has been alleged that some foreign embassies in the country have threatened to deny some Members of Parliament (MP’s) championing the anti-LGBTQ bill visas in any case they want to travel outside the country.

This has made the Minority Chief Whip and MP for Asawase, Mr Muntaka Mubarak to serve a notice to officials of foreign embassies in Ghana who will victimise Ghanaian MPs for their stance on the anti-LGBTQ bill.

He made it known the victimization will lead to the closure of these embassies as the Minority in Parliament will hold a demonstration to push for the closure.

He also emphasized no amount of intimidation will stop parliament from passing the bill into law.

He said, “If we notice any embassy denying visas to MP’s because of their participation in the passing of the anti-LGBTQ bill into law, we will organise a demonstration to close it down.”

“You cannot come and impose your culture on us, if because of the bill you will not give Mr Sam Goerge or me a visa, then you cannot be in our country, we will demonstrate till the Foreign Ministry closes that embassy down.”

“We are not forcing you to do what we want, so you cannot force us to do what you want. If any member of our country cannot visit your country then we will also make sure no member of your country visit ours.”