Gabriel Asare Otchere-Darko, a lawyer and a stalwart of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said that he is against the anti-gay bill before Parliament and is “not shy to say so”.
In a tweet, Gabby, as he is affectionately called, said he will “defend the right of minorities everywhere” despite general support for the bill among Ghanaians.
I am against the anti-gay bill & not shy to say so. I am a proud Ghanaian who cherishes all that is good about our value systems, including tolerance. And, I will defend the right of minorities everywhere. I have the courage and a sense of justice to disagree with the majority.
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) November 11, 2021
Parliament on Thursday began hearing testimony on the bill, which will curb LGBTQI rights further in a proposal widely condemned by the international community.
Lawmakers hearing testimony for and against the law are in the initial stages of a debate over the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill”.
Gay sex is already illegal in Ghana, a highly religious country, but the law will toughen sentences for same-sex relations and make even advocacy of LGBTQI relationships a criminal offence.
The committee on constitutional, legal and parliamentary affairs is expected to hold public hearings on the law for 15 weeks before the House opens a formal debate.
Winifred Lartey
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