It is interesting to note that every society is unique because of its culture.
However, it is worthy to note that even though all cultures have the same elements, these differ in form or nature.
Thus, all cultures have language, food, beliefs and values, education system and technology, for instance, as their elements, but they come in different kinds, types, forms, shapes and what have you.
In today’s world, travel, trade, cooperation and other forms of interaction have exposed people with different backgrounds to different cultural elements some of which they love to borrow but find others strange and reprehensible.
The borrowing has resulted in social change.
Thus, some element contents that were hitherto not part of certain cultures have now been accepted as part of them.
This state of affairs has given some people the wrong impression that due to the globalised nature of the world today, everything must be accepted everywhere.
It is clear that this is why the Western world always wants to foist certain things on particularly developing countries without recourse to their value systems but in the name of human rights.
One such things is the practice of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning plus (LGBTQ+).
In Ghana, the indigenes are totally against the practice of LGBTQ+ and a lot of hullabaloo about it has gone on.
In the midst of the hullabaloo, some people have asked the country’s political leaders to state their positions and, for that matter, the country’s in order to put the matter to rest.
This year, the calls for the country’s position have become more intense than ever before.
Fortunately, the country’s Parliament, the House made up of the representatives of the people, has put together an anti-LGBTQ+ bill, dubbed ‘Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021’, which it expects to be signed into law by the President of the Republic of Ghana, currently President Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo.
Before that would happen, some people and organisations within and without the country have risen against the bill, pleading that when it becomes law, it will kick against the human rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the country.
Some of the organisations are Access Chapter 2, South Africa; National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission; Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights; Rightify Ghana; and Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights Ghana.
However, there are all indications that the larger Ghanaian society would triumph over the anti- LGBTQ+ elements, no matter who they are.
We say this because the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, has vehemently stated that Parliament is bent on having that law passed.
Besides,the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, MrStephen Asamoah-Boateng,in an interview with the Ghanaian Timesjust days ago,has described the practice of LGBTQ as a danger to society, hence the government will never legalise it.
The minister is even quoted as saying that: “President Nana Akufo-Addo has made it clear that this practice will not be legalised as long as he remains President of our dear country.”
We hope President Akufo-Addo would not drag his feet over signing the bill into law but will fulfil this promise before he leaves office on January 7, 2025.
