Ayorkor Botchwey responds to Joe Biden’s push for nations to pass LGBTQ laws

Mr. Ayorkor Botchwey said this when questioned by Parliament’s Appointments Committee on US President Joe Biden’s alleged plans to sanction nations that do not decriminalise LGBT rights.

She noted that Ghana was a sovereign country and, therefore, cannot be forced to adhere to laws that go against the nation’s constitution.

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey Pulse Ghana

“Ghana is a sovereign country but as part of current policy, we engage countries all over the world. America is one of our strongest friends,” she said.

“But in this country we have laws and our laws work. So, in spite of what somebody would say, and in this case President Biden, the laws of Ghana criminalise unnatural [sex]. And that is what we all adhere to – the laws that we enact.

“Of course, culturally also we have our cultural laws that we must adhere to. So inasmuch as he [Biden] will say that, we are also as a sovereign country must stick to the laws of the land.”

The issue of gay rights remains a controversial topic in Ghana, with many Ghanaians currently strongly against is legalisation.

Meanwhile, legal practitioner, Moses Foh-Amoaning, says government must shut down the new LGBT office in Accra with immediate effect.

Mr. Foh-Amoaning, who is the Executive Director of the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, was reacting to a recent fundraiser organised by an LGBT group in the capital.

The fundraiser was attended by several diplomats, including US Ambassador to Ghana and the Australian High Commissioner.

Mr. Foh-Amoaning said not only must their office be closed down, but the persons involved must be arrested as well.

“The presidency, the ministry of foreign Affairs and the IGP have every right to investigate that office to close it down immediately and arrest and prosecute those people involved in it,” he said, as quoted by Myjoyonline.

He also stated that assertions that LGBT is part of the country’s Human Rights Law are not correct.

“The Constitution’s chapter that deals with Fundamental Human Rights and freedom is pretty clear, it talks about discrimination against race, colour, sex, and religious matters,” he explained.

“It never talks about the standard physiology which is normally used for LGBT rights, that is a sexual orientation, we don’t have it in our constitution."