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Church of Pentecost supports anti-LGBTQ+ bill with 15,000 signatories

The Chairman of Church of Pentecost Apostle Eric Nyamekye has asked President Akufo-Addo to immediately shut the door to activities of members of the LGBTQI+ community in the country.
The Christian clerics marching to parliament
The Christian clerics marching to parliament

Citing the President’s assurance that same-sex marriage will never happen under his watch, Apostle Nyamekye argued the necessary action required now is the passage of the anti LGBTQI+ bill currently before parliament.

Speaking during the presentation of memos in support of the bill to the constitutional, legal and parliamentary Affairs Committee, the Pentecost Chairman demanded immediate action to safeguard the future of the country.

Other leaders from the Methodist Church, Apostolic Church, and Christian Council took turns to address the gathering as they presented their own memos in support of the bill.

The deputy clerk to Ghana’s Parliament in Charge of Administration and Finance Eric Owusu-Mensah who received the memoranda disclosed that over 100 inputs from across the world have been received already.

He assured the committee will consider the memos in putting together a report to the plenary.

Speaking to the media after the presentation for the first time on the anti LGBTQI+ bill, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, rubbished arguments put out in a memo by some 15 individuals led by Lawyer Akoto Ampaw.

According to the Tamale South MP contrary to claims of the opponents of the anti-gay bill, LGBTQI+ activities cannot be legally be described as human rights.

The anti-gay bill currently before Parliament and sponsored by some eight MPs seeks to criminalise and impose jail terms on lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders and queers (LGBTQ+) and people who promote such activities in the country.

But a group made up of academics, lawyers, researchers, civil society organisations (CSOs) and human rights activists has kicked against it. They describe the bill as a flagrant violation of the 1992 Constitution, as it seeks to curtail freedom of expression and the media, the right to assemble and the right to join any association of one’s choice.

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