My constituents sent me back to pass the bill – Sam George vows to push anti-LGBTQI bill

Member of Parliament for Samuel Nartey George has reaffirmed his determination to ensure the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the anti-LGBTQI bill, insisting that he is acting on a renewed mandate from his constituents in Ghana.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement organised by Parliament’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, where lawmakers are currently conducting a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill, Mr. George described his return to Parliament as a continuation of what he termed “unfinished business” from the previous legislative term.

“The chiefs and people have returned me to the 9th Parliament because they believed I had unfinished business from the 8th Parliament, which was the passage of this bill. And so I indicated that I was going to reintroduce the bill,” he said.

He explained that together with co-sponsors, the bill has been formally reintroduced and is now progressing through the required parliamentary procedures. According to him, the legislation has already undergone extensive scrutiny over several years of debate and committee work.

“The provisions in this bill were examined by parliamentary committees and plenary for over two and a half years. We went through the mill to pass this bill,” he stated.

Mr. George further recalled that the bill was previously passed unanimously by Parliament on February 28, 2024, describing the moment as a significant legislative milestone.

“On the 28th of February 2024, Parliament unanimously, without any exceptions, passed this bill,” he said.

He also argued that Ghana’s legislative efforts have had broader regional influence, suggesting that other African countries have taken cues from the country’s approach to similar legislation.

“Since Ghana started working on our bill in 2021, Uganda has replicated our bill and passed it. Senegal has done the same and even reviewed its stance to increase the sanctions,” he stated, adding that these developments had not resulted in economic sanctions against those countries.

Despite his strong advocacy, Mr. George emphasized the importance of adhering strictly to parliamentary procedures to ensure the bill can withstand legal scrutiny.

“We will respect the processes for the passage of the private member’s bill through every single phase. Even though we want expediency, we must do what the law requires,” he said.

He referenced previous legal challenges faced by the legislation, noting that adherence to proper procedure was key to its survival in court.

“In 2024, the bill suffered three court suits. But because of the rigorous process Parliament followed, the bill survived all three,” he explained.

Mr. George cautioned against rushing the legislative process in a manner that could expose the bill to future legal challenges on procedural grounds.

“We do not want a situation where, after passage, someone goes to court on procedural grounds to say a committee of Parliament skipped a ground. Let us carry out the procedures expeditiously,” he added.

The bill, which remains one of the most controversial legislative proposals in Ghana in recent years, continues to attract strong support from religious groups while drawing criticism from civil society and human rights organisations.