This is a result of leaked contents of a 36-page bill proposal by a section of Parliamentarians to criminalise LGBTQ+ acts in Ghana.
Portions of the documents have in the past few days made rounds on various social media platforms with varied sentiments expressed on the matter.
The Ningo-Prampram MP who has not shied away from making his stance clear on ensuring that the bill is passed has been receiving backlash from a host of liberal Ghanaians on social media who believe the bill and its entirety triumphs on human rights.
This quickly resulted in a war of words with popular singer, Sister Derby describing Sam George’s fight against the LGBTQ+ as “backward and shameful.”
“Hopefully, when you figure out what genre of music you can succeed at, we can have a forward looking conversation. Until then, say hi to @AmgMedikal for me. Cheers,” Sam George wrote in response to Derby's statement.
But Sister Derby in a sharp rebuttal took a swipe at the lawmaker for somewhat "endangering the lives of the Ghanaians" with the passage of the bill.
She thus added that she considered herself as far more successful than the lawmaker could ever imagine.
“Just by fighting for Ghanaians whose lives YOU are endangering, I consider myself far more successful than you,” Sister Derby wrote.
Meanwhile, the Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, has already asserted that Parliament will do all it can to pass the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill to criminalise the act.
Among some of the actions contained in "The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, Bill 2021" proposal will see culprits face a jail term of up to ten years depending on the crime if passed in its current state.
Additionally, individuals of the same sex who engage in sexual intercourse will be “liable on summary conviction to a fine of not less than seven hundred and fifty penalty units and not more than five thousand penalty units, or to a term of imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than five years or both.”
This means that any person who “holds out as a lesbian, a gay, a transgender, a transsexual, a queer, a pansexual, an ally, a non-binary or any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female.” commits an offence.
While there’s an ongoing public discourse on portions of the bill proposal, the Ningo Prampram lawmaker, Sam George has reiterated that homosexuality is "not a human right but a sexual preference" hence the need to criminalise the act.
See Sister Derby's response below:
Popular Ghanaian singer, Sister Derby and Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George