Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader of Parliament, has withdrew his suggested changes to the law that would have promoted appropriate human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.
This comes after the House rejected two measures that called for community service to be used in lieu of jail time for those found guilty of LGBT-related offences.
Additionally, Alexander Afenyo-Markin retracted his proposed proposal, which called for post-conviction obligatory therapy on human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values.
From the moment it was initially presented in Parliament, the anti-gay measure has generated controversy. Human rights organisations have stated that the measure will infringe on Ghanaian LGBT people’s rights.
On Thursday, February 8, Parliament approved a three-to-five-year jail term for individuals who intentionally promoted or sponsored LGBTQ+ activities.
Those caught in the act could face a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 3 years in prison.
During the amendment process of the bill promoting proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values, Mr. Afenyo-Markin argued that punitive measures would not contribute to the rehabilitation of the offenders.
He expressed concern about the state of the country’s prisons and their inability to provide the necessary rehabilitation for offenders.
The Effutu lawmaker proposed replacing a minimum two-month imprisonment sentence with a minimum one-month community service for individuals found guilty of LGBTQ+ activities.
