Debate over Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, intensified on Friday as Minority members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) pushed back against proposed amendments to Clause 9, warning they could weaken the scope of the legislation.
The proposed changes sought to clarify exemptions for professionals such as lawyers, journalists, and healthcare providers, ensuring they are not penalised for carrying out their routine duties in relation to individuals identified as LGBTQ. Under the amendment, legal practitioners offering advice or representation, journalists reporting on LGBTQ-related issues, and medical or psychological professionals providing care would be shielded from prosecution where their work does not amount to promotion of LGBTQ activities.
Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga defended the revisions on the floor of Parliament, arguing that the intent was to prevent misinterpretation of professional responsibilities as support or promotion of LGBTQ-related conduct.
According to him, concerns raised by the media and professional bodies prompted the need for clearer definitions. “The Media raised strong issues because they think that we are violating the right to free expression… Professionals such as lawyers raised strong issues that we are violating their professional freedom and violating the rights of people to legal services,” he stated, adding that the committee’s approach was to “narrowly set out those exceptions” to avoid ambiguity.
However, the proposals were firmly opposed by leading sponsors of the Bill, including Reverend Ntim Fordjour, Member of Parliament for Assin South, and Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, MP for Bosome-Freho. They argued that introducing exemptions could dilute the original intent of the legislation and open avenues for indirect promotion of LGBTQ-related activities.
Reverend Fordjour maintained that some actors could exploit such loopholes, insisting that Parliament must avoid creating space for what he described as behind-the-scenes support of prohibited activities. He cautioned that any attempt to insert the exemptions would face strong resistance from sponsors of the Bill.
The disagreement highlights growing divisions in Parliament over how far the law should go in balancing restrictions on LGBTQ-related activities with protections for professional and constitutional rights.
Meanwhile, Parliament is preparing to host the fourth African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family and Sovereignty, scheduled for June 3 to June 6, 2026, where related legislative and cultural issues are expected to feature prominently.
