The parties in support of the bill are the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People's Party (CPP), the National Democratic Party (NDP), and the All People's Congress (APC).
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Throw away anti-gay bill - Kofi Akpaloo urges Parliament as 4 parties declare support
Four political parties have declared their support for the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021 which seeks to criminalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) activities in the country.
LGBTQI flag
The NDC speaking on the bill said its position on the matter was not different from what the late President John Evans Atta Mills and former President John Mahama had said.
According to the National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, although the party had not discussed the current bill, its position had not changed from what former Presidents Mills and Mahama stated while in government.
Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, NDC National Chairman
Pulse Ghana
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The APC led by Hassan Ayariga said the party is behind the bill to the core and would not tolerate the practice of homosexuality in the country whiles the CPP and the NDP on their part described homosexuality as abominable.
He said "LGBTQI+ is barbaric and against our traditional and moral values. Everybody has a right but not a right to abuse it or impose your rights on others."
The General Secretary of the NDP, Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong said "The NDP frowns and looks down on it. We should not waste time giving oxygen to the debate."
Hassan Ayariga
Pulse Ghana
He said the argument that the international community would look down on the country if the bill was passed was neither here nor there.
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"The NDP is totally against it," he added.
However, the fifth political party, the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) led by Kofi Akpaloo, has said he is against the bill, adding that it should be thrown out of Parliament.
Akpaloo said jailing culprits caught in such acts would compound the problem.
He stated that conditions in the country's prisons would contribute to the problem, as it would serve as nurturing grounds for enticing young ones into LGBTQI+ practice.
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Kofi Akpaloo
Pulse Ghana
He wondered if separate prisons would be built for LGBTQI+ persons who would be jailed or they would be put in existing prisons.
"If we need to solve the problem, we have to tackle the root cause, which is poverty," he said.
The anti-LGBTQI+ bill seeks to criminalise the activities of homosexuals in Ghana, and even seeks to criminalise any form of advocacy in support of LGBTQI+.
The bill threatens the very existence of LGBTQI people, meaning that they are perpetually put in a position where they are subjected to physical and psychological violence endorsed by the state.
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It also compels Ghanaians to police gender and sexuality in their homes, workplaces and everyday lives.
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