Inusah Fuseini, former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, has expressed apprehension about the proposed bill on the Promotion of Proper Sexual Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBT bill.
He asserts that if this bill is enacted into law, it will give rise to a plethora of issues and create an environment of pervasive surveillance among Ghanaians.
Mr. Fuseini argues that the passage of the anti-LGBT bill could potentially transform every citizen into an involuntary security informant, obligated to spy on others and report any perceived violations to the state. He believes that such an approach could lead to an array of complications and erode the trust within Ghanaian society.
During an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Face to Face, a program aired on Citi TV and monitoredby InsiderGH.com, the former lawmaker raised concerns over the Bill’s description of “unnatural carnal knowledge.” He found this aspect of the bill to be deeply unsettling, pointing out that there already exists a law in place that criminalizes interference in people’s private affairs.
“As Africans, we have traditions and that is why LGBTQ+ is facing stiff opposition, and we see it as a cultural recolonization, a cultural imposition, and it is not African and I have said that unnatural carnal knowledge is an inherently private matter.”
“It is a private matter, and we are not concerned about what goes on in the four walls of your bedroom and that is why I said the bill is trying to create a police state.”
“Why should we use state resources preying on people’s private affairs when it is already an offence to do so?” he quizzed.
“If you come out openly to profess you are LGBTQ+, we will not mind you but if you engage in it to the knowledge of the law enforcement agencies or responsible citizens, we will arrest you and send you to jail and there is already a law dealing with that and the bill will introduce more problems for us because they say if you are in your house, you have the responsibility to ensure members of the household uphold proper family values.”
As the debate surrounding the anti-LGBT Bill continues to intensify, stakeholders from various sectors of society have been expressing their views on its potential implications for Ghanaian society.
Proponents of the Bill argue that it is essential to safeguard traditional Ghanaian family values and protect the nation’s moral fabric. On the other hand, critics, including human rights activists, are concerned that the Bill may infringe upon the rights and privacy of individuals within the LGBTQ+ community.
