Samia Nkrumah Calls for Rejection of Anti-LGBTQ Bill

Samia Yaba Nkrumah, former Member of Parliament for Jomoro, has urged President Akufo-Addo not to approve the Bill on Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, also known as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill.

This bill, passed in Parliament on February 28, 2024, aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and prohibit their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

The proposed penalties range from a 6-month to 3-year jail term for offenders, with those promoting or sponsoring such activities facing 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.

The bill has faced opposition, including from the United States Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Evelyn Palmer. Samia Nkrumah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, described the bill as excessively harsh and unjust.

She has voiced her opposition, emphasizing that the legislation could sow division, a consequence she strongly opposes.

Expressing her stance, Nkrumah stated, “I hope the President does not sign or assent to it. I believe it is a brutal, harsh, and unjust law, and we do not need it.”

She highlighted the need for education on issues such as rape and pedophilia, expressing that these are concerns rather than fears associated with the LGBTQ+ community.

Nkrumah stressed the importance of unity, stating, “But most importantly, I do not support anything that brings division and torments the people of Ghana. We are all Ghanaians, and we need to protect and take care of each other.

” She emphasized the need for a united approach to address societal challenges, rather than laws that could potentially isolate and harm segments of the population.