Catholic Bishops’ Conference Urges Akufo-Addo to assent to Anti-LGBTQ Bill

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference has issued a strong call to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to give his assent to the anti-LGBTQ bill. The controversial bill, christened the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024”, was passed by Parliament on 28th February 2024.

However, President Akufo-Addo has withheld assent to the bill due to two pending injunction applications filed by broadcast journalist Richard Dela Sky and gender activist Dr Amanda Odoi. The lawsuits are challenging the constitutionality of the bill.

The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference has now urged the President to dismiss the “excuses” and take immediate action. This request was made in a communiqué issued by the Conference at the conclusion of its annual plenary assembly, which took place at Ofoase Kokoben, Obuasi Diocese, in the Ashanti Region, from 8 to 16 November 2024.

In the statement signed by President of the conference, Most Reverend Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, the group reaffirmed its strong support for the bill, noting that “it reflects our commitment to the sanctity of the family and the upholding of traditional values rooted in our cultural and Christian heritage.”

“We urge the President to give his assent to this Bill, which we believe aligns with the moral convictions of almost all Ghanaians. We see no justification for the President’s delayed action on the matter. In fact, we consider the reasons proffered for the delay as mere excuses,” the statement read.

The Conference further emphasised that “this is not a call for discrimination, but for the preservation of our moral fabric and the protection of traditional marriage and family as the foundation of our society.”

This statement from the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference comes amid growing pressure on the Supreme Court to expedite action on the bill.

On 8 October 2024, thousands of bill supporters took to the streets to protest the delay in the Apex Court’s ruling on the matter. The protest was led by key proponents of the bill, including Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram; Advocates for Christ Ghana; and the Coalition of Muslim Organisations of Ghana (COMOG).

The “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024” prohibits LGBT-related activities and criminalises the promotion, advocacy, and funding of such activities. The bill stipulates that individuals involved in these activities could face imprisonment for a period ranging from 6 months to 3 years, while promoters and sponsors could face sentences of between 3 and 5 years.

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