Opposing the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. An Update, and a Note of Appreciation
For the past 5 days (today is Tuesday 16 November, 2021), the Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee of Ghana’s Parliament has been holding public hearings on the “Private Members’ Bill* that would make it illegal to be gay or to advocate for gay rights”.
The bill was presented to parliament by a group of eight Members of Parliament (MPs) led by Sam George (Ningo-Prampram Constituency, NDC)**. The Committee received about 150 memoranda from concerning the Bill, and have planned to hold public sessions each week, hearing from each group, individual, or organisation that submitted a memo. They plan to have about 10 sessions each week, working out to 15 weeks of hearings. Is this the biggest wave of response to a bill in Ghana yet?
Among the people who have presented their responses so far are a group of Concerned Ghanaian Citizens, The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, The Human Rights Coalition, The Church of Pentecost, Amnesty International, The Ghana Aids Commission, and the United Nations Office of the Resident Co-coordinator, and The Advocates for Christ.
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation has been airing the sessions. Before that, several influential and leading proponents and opponents of the bill have been appearing on various media platforms expressing their views.
The comments sections*** of whatever social media pages some of these video interviews or corresponding news stories about the Bill are broadly similar. If the person in question is a proponent or supporter of the bill, the comments section are dominated with praise for the person and insults for members of the LGBTQ+ community. The few dissenting commenters, whenever they appear, are usually insulted and mocked. On the other hand, when the person in the interview or news story is opposing the bill, whatever their reason, the comment sections are filled with insults and mockery. Their expertise, integrity, and sometimes even their sanity is questioned. The only exception is on LGBTQ+ social media pages where I assume there is either careful curation to remove offensive comments, or no presence of people who would hold anti-queer sentiments.
This is an update about where things stand with the bill, but also a note of appreciation to all of those who have put their names, faces, and voices out in the public domain to oppose and strongly condemn the bill. Though I appreciate and acknowledge all of the countless young people who have been speaking up for years on social media platforms, this post focuses on our elders, so to speak/type.
Ghanaian society can be extremely harsh and judgemental, and it cannot be easy to constantly speak the truth and unwaveringly stand up for what is right and just to an audience that mostly listens to respond, rather than to understand. Even in my own interactions with people I have known and called friends or family for years, I have often left discussions in astonishment and disappointment about how small-minded some of these people, who I assumed were fair-minded and intelligent have been. For my arguments about opposing the bill, read my previous post.
It is very easy to go with the majority opinion on anything. Especially when that opinion is wrapped up in religious and cultural respectability in the way that the opinions on the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill are. So the fact that these people, many of whom have reputations they could have chosen to “protect” in the eyes of judgmental people, have been speaking up and defending the rights of so many people unknown to them is worthy of appreciation.
One person who has been on my mind is Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo, who is a staunch, unwavering, practising Christian who has bravely stood against the majority view of the church. Even though she is in a difficult position of being a Ghanaian Christian who does not want to see people jailed just because of their identity, she has been clear in her message of love. She has reminded her fellow Christians to follow Christ rather than religious leaders who are seeking worldly power through influencing politicians and the laws of the state. She has also frequently pointed out that Christians should not seek to pass their beliefs into law because it is unfair to others who do not share their faith. She has been remarkably patient in her interviews, leading and speaking with love and grace even when other panelists have questioned her credentials, faith and understanding of scriptures.
Professor Audrey Gadzekpo is another person who has put her reputation, and life, on the line to publicly defend the constitutional rights of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana. Early on in this recent public debate, she boldly went on media platforms to speak about this and faced a barrage of insults, abuse, and even death threats. Her interview with Umaru Sanda was particulary excellent, and this I believe provoked people who had no intellectual responses and resorted to abuse. Some of the comments were so horrible that some Ghanaian media houses who do not usually take content curation that seriously had to remove them. As a leading voice of Ghanaian feminist activism and scholarship she and others like Prof Adomako Ampofo and Prof Takyiwaa Manuh continue to pave the way in the fights for equality for all.
Another of the people I would like to appreciate is Lawyer Akoto Ampaw. As the head of the legal team that defended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's electoral victory at the Supreme Court, he came to this debate as much credentials as risk. Unlike a lot of political activists who have been largely self-serving in what they choose to oppose or support, Lawyer Akoto Ampaw has shown conviction and proved his consistency. He stands for what is right and just, whether it is risking his life to criticise “ex-President Rawlings publicly over his intimidation of Supreme Court judges” or defending democratic processes, he has been consistent.
Professor Gyimah Boadi was one of the earliest voices of opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the present iteration of this debate (which I date to the closing down of the LGBT+ Rights Ghana office in February 2020). He too, has been a staunch defender of democracy in Ghana, and has been consistent to speaking truth to power no matter which party has been in power. Unlike other Civil Society Organisations which only see political wrongdoing when their party is in opposition, the Ghana Center for Democratic Development which he founded has been consistently for the rights of people in this democracy. Contrary to popular assumptions, (and totally understandable if your last lesson in democracy was in secondary school) democracy is not just about the rule of the majority, but also the protection of the minority.
Another academic and activist of renown who has brought her reputation to the fight is Professor Takyiwaa Manuh, Emireta Professor of the University of Ghana. She has made the rounds of various media houses, refuting the ridiculously erroneous arguments of interviewers and panelists with calm competence and intelligence. The women who have publicly opposed the bill, as usual, have faced more insults and questioning of their credentials than the men. But she, like Profs Adomako Ampofo and Gadzekpo have often left their opponents floundering with no choice but to reach for belittlement and insults because they have no intellectual responses.
Recently, Lawyer John Ndebugre spoke out publicly against the bill. His credentials, first as a student organiser around democratic rights and freedoms, and later as a seasoned politician and statesman are unquestionable. He railed against the bill, citing the freedoms that would be curtailed if it passed such as the freedom of association. He also pointed out how much of the bill is founded on unfounded speculations. Having such an eminent statesman speak up against the bill has been great.
Professor Henry Kwasi Prempeh recently presented his opposition to the bill on behalf of a coalition of Human Rights organisations. As Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development he, like Prof Gyimah Boadi, has been consistent in his stance against abuse of power, the oppression of minorities and the protection of Ghanaian democratic principles.
I know these two might not accept that they are elders. And they might not be in terms of age but they certainly are in terms of leading the way and clearing paths for others to follow. Kinna Likimani and Panji Anoff have been consistently defending the rights and freedoms of Ghanaians on social media and media
And finally, I end with a request to my readers: There are a lot of hateful comments and abuse in the public domain around people who speak up for what is right and just in Ghana. So take a moment and send some positivity and appreciation towards the people you see standing up and speaking up. They already know they’re in a minority and are fighting for a minority. But show them that we are not all hateful and unreasonable. Show them that we here, that we see them, that we hear them, and we are grateful. Not just to the elders I’ve highlighted here, but to all who speak up on social media, at work… everywhere. Put in a positive comment or send a kind note privately if you’re worried…
*__“A Private Member's Bill is proposed legislation introduced by a Member of Parliament (MP) in their capacity as MP, which is distinct from a Public Bill introduced by a minister of state on behalf of the executive”. Though Private Member’s Bills are frequent features in similar parliamentary systems around the world, the introduction of this kind of bill is is a recent development in Ghana. The Parliament of Ghana passed a resolution to allow for the introduction and passing of Private Member’s Bills in June 2020.
** The other MPs are (1) Emmanuel Bedzrah (Ho West, NDC) (2) Della Adjoa Sowah (Kpando, NDC), (3) John Ntim Fordjour (Assin South, NPP), (4) Alhassan Sayibu Suhuyini (Tamale North, NDC), (5) Helen Adjoa Ntoso (Krachi West, NDC), (6) Rita Naa Odoley Sowah (La Dadekotopon, NDC) and (7) Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor (South Dayi, NDC).
*** I will not reproduce the hateful and offensive comments here.