• They have described the bill as a violation of key fundamental human freedoms
• The group also claim the bill is a threat to the Ghanaian family unit and family values
Fifteen renowned legal, academic and civil professionals have filed a memorandum to Parliament against the anti-gay bill.
Per the memorandum cited by GhanaWeb, the group described the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill as a violation of all the key fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the constitution.
"The Bill violates the right to inviolability of the person. It violates virtually all the key fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, namely the right to freedom of speech and expression; the right to freedom of thought, conscience and belief; the freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such in practice (which includes the freedom not to practice any religion); the right to assemble, including the freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations; the freedom of association and the right to organize- in essence the fundamental human rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution."
They concluded in the memorandum that the bill envisages the very opposite of the words “freedom and justice’ that emblazon our coat of arms, hence the need for it to be rejected by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and by Parliament as a whole.”
Below is a list of the renowned individuals against the anti-LGBTQ bill
Akoto Ampaw
Lawyer Anthony Akoto Ampaw Esq is a veteran Ghanaian lawyer and human rights activist.
Professor Emerita Takyiwaa Manuh
Takyiwaa Manuh is a Professor and former Director of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana.
Professor Kwame KariKari
Professor Kwame Karikari is a renowned communications educator.
Professor Kofi Gyimah-Boadi
He is a renowned political scientist and co-founder of the Afrobarometer Network.
Professor Audrey Gadzekpo
Professor Audrey Gadzekpo is the Dean of the School of Information and Communications Studies, University of Ghana. She is also a communication expert.
Dr. Rose Kutin-Mensah
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, Regional Programme Manager of ABANTU, a gender based non-governmental organization (NGO)
Dr. Yao Graham
He is the Executive Director of the Third World Network
Professsor Dzodzi Tsikata
She is the Director, Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana,
Professor H. Kwasi Prempeh
He is the Executive Director of Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)
Kwasi Adu-Amankwah
Kwasi Adu Amankwah is the General Secretary, African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC Africa)
Dr. Kojo Asante
Dr Kojo Asante is the Director for Policy and Advocacy, Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana)
Akunu Dake
Akunu Dake is the Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Development, Co-convener of the Ghana culture forum
Tetteh Homerku-Adjei
Professor Raymond Atuguba
Professor Raymond A. Atuguba is the Dean of, and an Associate Professor at the University of Ghana School of Law.
Kofi Ofei-Nkansah
Some lawmakers are pushing to criminalize LGBTQ+ acts