Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin directly accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration of betraying public trust by failing to advance the legislation it once championed.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, June 25, Afenyo-Markin highlighted the ruling party’s previous strong support for the bill while in opposition. “Our friends in the then-opposition used the Anti-LGBTQ bill as a major campaign tool,” he stated. Afenyo-Markin asserted that the NDC gave firm assurances to voters about enacting the bill to defend Ghanaian family values once in power. He expressed deep disappointment at the current government’s silence and perceived inaction.

“But today, when they have the power to hear and the numbers, the same people have gone mute. This is just not disappointing but deliberate,” Afenyo-Markin declared. He questioned the government’s priorities, contrasting its current focus on other urgent legislation with the stalled status of the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill. The Minority Leader’s remarks underscore rising tensions over the bill’s future under President John Mahama’s NDC government.

The political criticism coincides with intense online debate sparked by viral images of a South African gay couple, Rue and Lue. Photographs show the couple sharing a kiss beneath Ghana’s Independence Arch in Accra during an advocacy tour. The couple wore coordinated red outfits at the monument, widely regarded as a sacred symbol of national sovereignty and cultural heritage.

Social media reactions to the images have been sharply divided. Some users defended the couple’s freedom of expression, while others condemned the act as provocative and disrespectful towards Ghanaian cultural and moral values. The juxtaposition of the government’s legislative silence and the high-profile display has intensified the national conversation.

The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, first introduced in Parliament in 2021, seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities and related advocacy. Despite undergoing several parliamentary stages and attracting significant local and international attention, its progress has stalled. The ruling NDC government has not provided a clear timeline for the bill’s reintroduction or passage, fueling the Opposition’s accusations of deliberate delay.