President John Dramani Mahama says his government is in consultation with the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to introduce the anti-LGBT bill in Parliament as Government-sponsored bill and not a private members bill.
President Mahama made this announcement during his Fellowship with the Clergy at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Friday, February 28, 2025.
President Mahama reiterated his Christian values, indicating that only two genders exist – a man and woman.
“I as a Christian, uphold the values that only two genders exist as man and woman and that the marriage is between a man and woman. I have spoken with the Speaker so that a renewal of the expired Proper Family Values Bill should be a bill that is introduced by government rather than as a private member motion.
“It is my hope that that consultation will see a renewed proper Family Values Bill. I believe that my leadership should be a reflection of the people that I govern and upon this I stand firm,” the President said.
The Anti-LGBTQI bill, now expired was introduced as a Private Members bill in Parliament. It successfully went through all reading stages and was approved by Parliament awaiting a Presidential assent by the ex-President Akufo-Addo.
However, the ex-President did not assent to the bill until he left office, citing a number of suits filed at the Supreme Court against the bill.
The bill in its current form has expired and will need a re-introduction to Parliament for further action to be taken.
President Mahama earlier in January suggested a possible new approach to the controversial LGBTQ+ bill, saying it should be a government-sponsored bill rather than a private member’s bill.
At a meeting with the Catholic Bishops Conference, President Mahama noted that “I do think that we should have a conversation on it again so that all of us if we decide to move that bill forward, we will move it forward with a consensus and probably should not be a private members bill but a government bill with government behind it after consultation with all stakeholders.”
The anti-LGBTQ+ bill, officially titled the “Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill has however been reintroduced by six MPs led by Samuel Nartey George and Reverend John Ntim Fordjour.
