LGBTQ+ Bill: Legislating sin won’t change lesbians, gays- Ex-EC Chair Charlotte Osei

Former Chairperson of Ghana’s Electoral Commission Madam Charlotte Osei has reignited debates on the LGBTQ+ Bill, making a strong case that legislating a sin will change sinners- lesbians, gays or homosexuals.

According to her, individuals can love homosexuals, lesbians and gays but hate their sins whilst the Christian community in Ghana works around the clock by taking urgent steps to fix the problem solely to transform such sinful characters in society but not necessarily driving them away.

7 Members of Parliament led by Ningo-Prampram Lawmaker Samuel Nartey George introduced LGBTA+ Bill to parliament to criminalise homosexuality- lesbianism, gayism and advocates.

The bill known as Proper Human Sexual and Ghanaian Family Values Bill has since been laid in the floor of parliament and referred Constitutional, legal Affairs Committee pending reports and debates.

In her first public comment on the issue the former Chair of Ghana’s Electoral Commission Madam Charlotte Osei said “Legislating sins won’t change homosexuals lesbians and gays. Let’s love lesbians, gays but hate their sins. To legislate a sin is a bit difficult”.

Charlotte Osei noted that “As a Christian, my Bible teaches me to hate the sin and love the sinner. I would have loved if the church is on the forefront of fighting this but finding ways to change homosexuals and not driving them away”.

Sponsors of the Proper Human Sexual and Ghanaian Family Values Bill seeking to criminalise LGBTQ+
also known as homosexuality, gayism and lesbianism led by Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament Samuel Nartey George has been laid before parliament.

The bill was firstly read before the MPs in the floor of parliament, with copies printed and distributed to 275 Lawmakers for study ahead of debates and referred to the appropriate committee of parliament.

The committee is expected to go through the bill and present report on the bill to parliament for debate, public views and inputs before it is approved by parliament’s two-third majority of members presenting and voting after which President Akufo-Addo will assent to the bill to become a law at the promulgation stage.

The is expected to go through first, second and third reading stages before passage into law.

However, if the president refuses to give assent the bill at the promulgation stage, parliament can rely on two-thirds of majority of members present and voting for passage of the bill into law.

But, Veteran Sports Journalist and Law Lecturer at the Ghana School of Law Moses Foh Amoaning says the anti-LGBTQ+ community including practitioners of the Christian faith will in the coming days lower the homosexuality flag.

According to him, the LGBTQ+ flag is chastised by the rainbow colours God used as a covenant not to destroy the world in future.

Speaking in an interview monitored by African Editors on Sunday 1 August 2021 in Accra, Mr. Amoaning said “We’ll soon lower the LGBTQ+ because the colours on that flag were used by God as a covenant not to destroy the world”.

Making reference to the judgement by 47 Judges of the world’s highest Human Rights Court at Strasbourg in Europe that homosexuality is not a human right, Mr. Amoaning said “the LGBTQ+ come has lost the debate on both legal and health grounds”.

“For health, you have no idea the amount of money the Christian community is spending on the gay people who are suffering from all kinds of complication”.

Meanwhile, Former CEO of Volta River Authority Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey has predicted that the LGBTQ+ Bill currently before parliament will be challenged at the Supreme Court of Ghana if it is passed into law.

The LGBTQ+ Bill is set to be laid before parliament on Monday 2 August 2021.

But, even before the bill laid in the floor of parliament, Dr. Wereko-Brobbey said the law will be challenged at the Supreme Court if the bill in its current form is passed into law.

“I know that this bill will be challenged at the Supreme Court after passage and judges will have opportunity to interpret whether it’s consistent with our laws. That’s will come because I think section 104 is inconsistent with the constitution “.

Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin has warned critics to stop threatening MPs who introduced the bill and promised that it will be passed into law by the end of 2021.

But, Dr. Wereko-Brobbey is of the view that the Speaker erred in taking a categorical position on the bill before it is laid.

“The Speaker is supposed to be neutral on all matters”.

Source: africaneditors.com

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