The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has summoned the leadership of both the Majority and Minority caucuses for urgent consultations following the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ bill.
Speaking to Journalists in parliament on Monday, June 1, 2026, the Speaker disclosed that the swift approval of the legislation by Parliament came as a surprise to him, insisting that the understanding among parliamentary leaders was that the House would only commence the consideration stage of the bill rather than conclude and pass it.
“In fact, when it was passed on Friday, it was even a surprise to me because I knew that they were going to start the consideration of the bill,” Mr. Bagbin stated.
According to the Speaker, the bill has generated intense local and international interest, attracting submissions and recommendations from a broad range of stakeholders, including development partners, civil society groups, religious bodies, and the United Nations.
He noted that many of these stakeholders had proposed amendments and suggestions intended to shape the final content of the legislation.
Mr. Bagbin explained that the leadership meeting would review the circumstances surrounding the handling of the bill on the floor of Parliament and determine the appropriate next steps.
“This is such a critical deal that we believe there must be consensus. It’s not about passing the bill; it’s about implementing it and making sure that it benefits the people,” he emphasized.
Parliament last Friday passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, after adopting a number of amendments during deliberations.
The revised version of the bill exempts lawyers who provide legal advice or legal representation to persons identified as LGBTQ from sanctions under the proposed law.
Journalists and media organizations reporting on LGBTQ-related issues in the course of their professional duties are also protected from punishment.
Additionally, medical practitioners who offer surgical, psychological, counselling, or other professional healthcare services to LGBTQ persons have been exempted from sanctions under the amended legislation.
However, the Minority Caucus strongly opposed the amendments, arguing that the changes exposed fundamental flaws in the original bill that had earlier been presented to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assent.
The Minority contended that the exemptions significantly altered the character of the legislation and raised questions about the legal and practical implications of its enforcement.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been one of Ghana’s most controversial pieces of legislation in recent years. First introduced by a bipartisan group of Members of Parliament in 2021, the bill seeks to criminalize LGBTQ activities, advocacy, promotion, and related support services. Supporters of the legislation argue that it is necessary to protect Ghanaian cultural, religious, and family values, while critics maintain that it infringes on fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution and international human rights conventions.
The bill has attracted widespread debate both within Ghana and internationally, drawing reactions from foreign governments, human rights organizations, faith-based groups, and development partners.
Its passage is expected to reignite discussions over human rights, constitutional freedoms, and Ghana’s international obligations as attention now turns to the next steps in the legislative process.
Source: Felix NYAABA//expressnewsghana.com