Tensions ran high in Parliament as the Minority caucus leveled serious accusations against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, claiming it had broken faith with Ghanaians by significantly altering the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
Speaking passionately at a press conference on Monday, June 1, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Member of Parliament for Assin South and a co-sponsor of the bill, voiced the Minority’s frustration. While reaffirming the caucus’s support for the bill’s objectives, he condemned what he described as sweeping amendments that, in his view, had fundamentally changed the legislation that Parliament originally passed in 2024.
Rev. Ntim Fordjour accused the ruling NDC of “mutilating” the bill through extensive deletions, redrafting, and new insertions. He charged that the government’s actions contradicted its earlier stance, reminding the public that the NDC had once demanded the bill be signed into law exactly as passed.
“Was that the promise?” he asked, referencing the NDC’s campaign assurances. “Was the promise to come and dilute the bill before he signs? That is a breach of trust. That is hypocrisy, and that is deception.”
The controversy arose after Parliament passed the revised bill on Friday, May 30, which introduced several key changes. Under the new provisions, legal professionals offering counsel or representation to LGBTQ+ individuals are now exempt from sanctions. Journalists and media houses reporting on LGBTQ+ matters in their professional capacity are also protected. Additionally, medical professionals, including surgeons, psychologists, and counselors, who provide care to LGBTQ+ persons are shielded from prosecution.
Despite the amendments, the Minority insists the government has deviated from its original promise, framing the changes as a betrayal of public trust and a dilution of the bill’s intended impact.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com