The Minority caucus in Parliament has called on the government to explain why the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, passed in February 2024, was returned to Parliament with 31 amendments instead of being presented to President John Mahama in its original form. The Minority's sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, expressed concern that the Bill appears to have lost force and that Ghanaians were given the impression the former president had refused to sign it in its entirety.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Assin South MP John Ntim Fordjour, a co-sponsor of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, says the Speaker's expressed surprise at the bill's passage in its current form vindicates concerns the Minority raised about the bill's substance and procedure, and the bill's extensive amendments that he argues changed its original intent.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
The Minority in Parliament accused the NDC and advocates of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill of failing to provide full facts about the legislation's status. The Minority said the public narrative that former President Akufo-Addo was refusing to sign a completed bill was incomplete, as President Mahama has stated the bill was not submitted to Akufo-Addo for assent because of pending court challenges.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Assin South MP Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has questioned whether the revised Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill retains the legal strength and intent of the version passed by Parliament in February 2024, citing substantial differences including new exemptions for legal advice, journalism, academics, and medical professionals, and asking why such protections were not deemed necessary in the original text.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Parliamentary Minority has challenged the NDC over contradictions in handling the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, noting that the measure once presented as ready for presidential signature now contains 31 amendments affecting definitions, reporting requirements, criminal sanctions and institutional safeguards. The Minority argues the amendments go beyond routine corrections and include deletion and replacement of entire clauses.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Assin South MP Rev. John Ntim Fordjour has defended former President Akufo-Addo's handling of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, arguing he was unfairly blamed for delay when the bill was not submitted for assent because court proceedings were ongoing. Fordjour pointed out that since the bill has now returned to Parliament with dozens of amendments, it suggests the legislation was not complete when passed in 2024, contrary to public claims.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill criminalises homosexuality and LGBTQ+ advocacy, with penalties of up to three years' imprisonment for identifying as LGBTQ+ and up to ten years for promoting LGBTQ+ activities. The legislation also requires citizens to report suspected violations to police and forces a reckoning over the nation's democratic identity, fiscal stability, and international partnerships.
1 June 2026 · Joy Online →