By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The Parliament in Ghana has indicated support for a proposed amendment to an anti-gay bill which would make identifying as LGBTQ punishable by a three-year prison sentence.
At the moment, homosexuality is illegal in Ghana.
The proposed amendments are backed by a cross-party group of members of Parliament, but is expected to undergo proper scrutiny before becoming a law.
Under the proposed amendment, people who campaign for LGBTQ could also be punished with a jail term, up to ten years imprisonment.
Condemnation has however trailed the proposed law from within and outside the country.
Recently, the United States announced a sanction on Uganda for enacting anti-gay laws which it says violates human rights.
Critics have equally emphasized that if passed into law, the proposed amendment could further tighten the grip of human rights violation, guaranteed in Ghana’s constitution.
Those in support of the bill say it will preserve the country’s moral value, even as activists have filed legal actions challenging the proposed amendment.
