Deputy Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin’s proposal to substitute a minimum one-month community service penalty for a minimum two-month jail sentence for those found guilty of LGBT activities was rejected by Parliament.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin heard a motion filed by Alexander Afenyo-Markin requesting a second consideration of the bill, which was an attempt to pass the anti-LGBT bill at the third reading stage. The house then gave its approval to this proposal.
Nevertheless, the House rejected the Deputy Majority Leader’s original idea throughout the bill’s extensive amendment process.
Thus, on Thursday, the Speaker of Parliament declared, “The Nos have it.” The suggested modification is rejected. He did, however, clarify that he did not disagree with the anti-gay bill’s basic idea.
The nation could not afford to pass legislation that solidified jail terms, according to Mr. Afenyo-Markin. A law like this, according to the MP Effutu, is severe for a homosexual act.
The Majority Leader’s Deputy emphasized that “I support aspects of the bill, I oppose aspects of it. I am not against the principle, the object of the bill.
“In this day and age where the country’s judiciary thinking is towards a non-custodial sentence, we cannot enact a law that seeks to entrench custodial sentences.
“After all, it is about somebody’s sexuality, and we have to be very careful as a country not to be going into emotions when enacting a law.”
“First of all, from an empathetic point of view, if it is your son, if it is your daughter if it is your niece, your nephew, an uncle, an auntie, would you say, ‘Go to jail because you have been found guilty of homosexuality’?”
