Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament and a key sponsor of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Sam George, has alleged that an educational establishment, North Legon Little Angels located in Accra is promoting the activities of the LGBTQ+ community.
In an interview on StarrFM on December 14, 2023, Sam George claimed that Ghanaian musician and pro-LGBTQ activist Deborah Vanessah was invited by the school authorities to engage students and in her engagement she informed students that is acceptable to have romantic feelings for the same sex.
According to Sam George, Deborah Vanessah’s time with the student was shared on the school’s Instagram page, but following backlash, the school took down the footage.
“I am absolutely not interested in the privacy of your bedroom. It is because these same people have taken what is their private perversion and are bringing it to my children’s classroom. North Legon Little Angles, I am mentioning the name of the school, they take somebody who calls herself an influencer and so called social media celebrity. Take her to a school to sit with children aged 8 to 11 and tell them that it is okay for them as boys to love boys and girls to love girls. Here in Ghana, North Legon Little Angels.
“Deborah Vannesah, Medical’s ex, One Luv’s sister. What she is doing is grooming. The video was there and they posted it on Instagram. The school after the backlash has taken it down. Did the school seek the permission of the parents for that kind of education to be given to their children? These are some of the things that are making me and my blood boil. How can I pay school fees for my child to go to school…” he said.
The Independent Ghana emphasizes that these are allegations levelled by the legislator against the educational institution.
This footage has resurfaced at a time when Parliament has passed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the anti-LGBTQ bill after three years following its introduction.
During Wednesday’s Parliamentary session Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin sought to make amendments to the bill during the second consideration stage citing human rights infringement.
However, the Minority rejected his request, prompting the Speaker to push for the third consideration stage,.
Speaker Alban Bagbin put the bill to a voice vote, and the ayes had it.
As it stands now, Parliament has tabled the bill to the President’s desk for President Akufo-Addo to assent to the bill to become law.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ bill aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. It proposes strict penalties, including imprisonment, for individuals engaged in activities related to homosexuality and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Additionally, the bill seeks to prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, organizations, and events in Ghana.
Prior to its passage, there had been several amendments to the bill. After deliberation, Parliament decided that the minimum custodial sentence has been set at three years, with a maximum of five years for promoters and sympathisers.
Additionally, individuals caught directly engaging in these activities will face a minimum sentence of six months, extendable to a maximum of three years.
Ghana is among many African countries that are working to rid LGBTQ activities in the society. Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws in May, which calls for the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
Following this, the country faced sanctions from international communities. The U.S. imposed a first round of visa restrictions on Ugandan officials in response to the law in June, and the World Bank halted new lending to the country in August.
The concern now is Ghana could face similar sanctions and be blocked from receiving financial aid from countries that uphold LGBTQ rights. But Parliamentarians have noted that Ghana is poised to withstand whatever pro-LGBTQ countries throw at them.
Already, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has described the passage of bill as “profoundly disturbing.”
A portion of the UN Human Rights statement read, “I call for the bill not to become law. I urge the Ghanaian Government to take steps to ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalized.”
Below is the full interview.