Professor Larry Diamond, a Democracy Scholar at the Hoover Institute and Stanford University, has expressed grave concerns regarding the recent controversy surrounding Ghana’s anti-gay bill, which was recently passed by Parliament.
During an interview on The Point of View program on Citi TV, Professor Diamond argued that the focus on the anti-gay bill is diverting attention from the significant governance challenges facing Ghana.
“One concern to put it bluntly is the bill parliament has adopted although it’s not transmitted, which I think is a diversion from the real developments of issues facing the country. People have different religious convictions in many ways which is an admirable thing. They have a religious faith that can be resourced, it can be a moral resource if you take it seriously,” he added.
“It can be a source of solace and cooperation, but what’s the aim of prosecuting people who were born and all of the psychological research is showing that the sexual identity is determined by genetics inherent at a very young age.”
He questioned the rationale behind the support for the bill within a segment of the population.
Furthermore, he raised doubts about the country’s decision to prosecute individuals who belong to a small minority and possess inherent traits beyond their control.
The Democracy Scholar criticized the harassment of homosexuals in Ghana, describing it as morally unjust.
“So, picking on people who are gender fluid, lesbians, gays, transgender whatever, what is going to be next? You are going pick on people who are in wheelchairs, who use their left hand to eat, rather than the right hand.
‘It’s not morally right I think to beat up on and bully from the vulnerable minority this way. It can be a very effective tool for this bullying. To divert attention from bad governance and it’s really not what the great religious figures have in mind when they called for tolerance and all of those children being loved.”
“This act will be a disaster for Ghana economically if passed into law,” he pointed out.
He warned of dire economic consequences for Ghana if the bill is enacted into law.