A Cocktail of Hypocrisy, Emotions and Populist Politicking on LGBT

The continuous apparent organized verbal onslaught on President Akufo-Addo over comments he made in response to a question on legislations about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) in Ghana, is nothing but a cocktail of hypocrisy, emotions and political mischief.

Political mischief makers have twisted the President’s answer to mean he had endorsed LGBT activities in the country and opposed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill currently before Parliament.

The President spoke in public. Nowhere in his statement did he say he was against the Bill. Nowhere in is responses did he say he was supporting LGBT in Ghana. But here we are, a whole week and counting of vitriolic attacks on him just for the sake of populist politicking.

Akufo-Addo’s exact words were this: “First of all, we don’t have any such legislation here in Ghana. A Bill has been proposed to the Parliament of Ghana, which has all kinds of ramifications which is now being considered by the Parliament. It hasn’t been passed so the statement that there is legislation in Ghana to that effect is inaccurate. There is no legislation.

“The Bill is going through the Parliament. The Attorney General has found it necessary to speak to the Committee about it regarding the constitutionality or otherwise or several of its provisions and the Parliament is dealing with it.

“At the end of the process, I will come in but in the meantime the Parliament is dealing with it and I have no doubt. That the Parliament of “Ghana will show as it has done in the past, one; first of all its sensitivity to human rights issues as well as to the feelings of our population and we would come out with a responsible response to the proposed (Bill)

“The legislation is a legislation that is being provided as a private member’s Bill. It is not an official legislation of the Government. It is one that is being muted by a handful of private members. So we would see what the final outcome of it.

“But my understanding from recent discussions I had recently with the chairman of the Committee, the substantial elements of the Bill have already been modified as a result of the intervention of the Attorney General. We would see what the final outcome is.”
How can this be an opposition to the Bill or an endorsement of LGBT activities by the President.

Same President is on record to have said: “I have said it before, and let me stress it again, that it will not be under the Presidency of Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo that same-sex marriage will be legal,” at the installation of the 2nd Archbishop of the Anglican Church held in Asante Mampong in February 2021.

The current Bill is not even to legalize LGBT in Ghana. No one has called for that in Parliament and it is condemnable for anyone to start a media agenda that President Akufo-Addo has kicked against the Bill and endorsed LGBT.