The Local Council of Churches in the Northern Region comprising of the Catholic Church Secretariat, Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Church Council and the Independent Churches has unanimously endorsed the passage of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill currently before the Parliament of Ghana for consideration.
The Private Member’s Bill spearheaded by the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram provides for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian cultural norms and family values was laid in Parliament to be passed into law.
Several groups have presented memos to the August house indicating their strong opposition to the passage of the bill, arguing the bill when passed would be affront to the constitution of Ghana and therefore must not be entertained.
However, at news a conference in Tamale on Tuesday (October 12, 2021), Chairman of the Local Council of Churches, Rev. Dr Peter Atta Ziame said the spirit of God that grants wisdom, and forbearers will guide Parliament to do the needful in the passage of this Bill to regulate the activities of the LGBTQ+ persons and maintain the sanctity and socio-cultural values of Ghana.
The Council believes the Private Member’s bill has taken cognizance of the right to life for members of the LGBTQ+ community but reiterated the practice of this distortedly act threatens the future existence of human race.
Rev Dr Peter Atta Ziame noted as worthy representation of their various faith based organization in Northern Ghana, “We feel threatened about the potential of the LGBTQ+ to make the Ghanaian population extinct.”
“We do submit that where the activities of LGBTQ+ are encouraged, promoted, abetted, or financed, especially as it relates to our socio-cultural setting, the future of the population is at risk to the extent that it will extinguish over time.
Granted without admitting that women marry women and men marry men as advocated by the LGBTQ+ group, there cannot be any procreation to replenish the community” Rev Peter Atta Ziame argued.
Spread of STDs
The Local Council of Churches Chairman stated the country will be burdened with Sexual Transmitted Diseases if the LGBTQ+ practice is allowed into the country and further chronicled various scientific reports worth influencing any mind that the anti-gay bill has come at no better time than now.
“The report of the Scientific Research Council shows that 18.1 percent of people living with AIDS are gays. The Centre for Disease Control has also stated that persons involved in such acts are at a higher risk of contracting and spreading Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey, 2014, also reported that 2.7 percent of Ghanaians aged 15 and 49 years (basically the youth), while 2.8% of women aged between 15 and 29 years are burdened with the HIV/AIDS.
The negative impact this will have on the individual socio-economic output for themselves and their families is anyone’s guess. This will also have an adverse effect on the country especially the country losing most of its human capital and the amount of money the country would spend helping with the treatment of such persons” the council underscored.
