Parliament postpones approval on anti-LGBTQ+ bill approval to Feb 27

The decision follows the house's standing orders, which require a one-sitting day gap before the third reading of a bill.

This delay comes after the second review of the bill, which seeks to criminalize and penalize LGBTQ+ activities, promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Notably, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin withdrew proposed amendments after the House rejected two suggestions, including replacing imprisonment with community service for those found guilty of engaging in LGBTQ+ activities.

Afenyo-Markin also withdrew an amendment proposing mandatory counseling on human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values as a post-conviction sentence. The bill has faced controversy, with human rights groups arguing that it infringes on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana.

Earlier in February, Parliament approved a three-to-five-year jail term for intentional promotion or sponsorship of LGBTQ+ activities, with a minimum of six months and a maximum of three years in prison for those caught in the act.

Afenyo-Markin, during the amendment process, expressed concerns about the country's prisons' ability to rehabilitate offenders and proposed replacing a minimum two-month imprisonment sentence with a minimum one-month community service for those found guilty of LGBTQ+ activities.

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