The controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill in Ghana has been the subject of significant parliamentary debate and public pressure, culminating in a definitive ruling by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin. Speaker Bagbin declared that the bill, officially known as the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, must be reintroduced in the current, ninth Parliament. This ruling came after a period of uncertainty and disagreement among lawmakers, particularly following the Majority Leader's assertion that the bill had already been passed by the eighth Parliament and therefore did not require reintroduction.

Speaker Bagbin firmly countered this view, explaining that upon the dissolution of the eighth Parliament, all pending legislative business ceased to exist. He stated, “The eighth Parliament is history. So are all the businesses that were pending in the eighth Parliament. They all ended with the eighth Parliament and so we have a new Parliament — the ninth Parliament — and therefore what was pending there came to an end and has to be reintroduced.”

Further clarification from the Speaker revealed critical details regarding the bill's previous journey. He disclosed that the bill had been transmitted to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, who subsequently declined to assent to it. However, according to Mr. Bagbin, the presidency failed to fulfill its constitutional obligation by not returning the bill to Parliament with explicit reasons for the refusal. The Speaker characterized this as a “constitutional error,” noting that the bill was effectively “imprisoned” at the presidency.

The Speaker also emphasized the bill's origin as a private member’s bill, spearheaded by Members of Parliament with robust backing from traditional, religious, and civil society leaders. He recalled personally disagreeing with the previous government's intention to adopt it as a public bill, insisting on its nature as an initiative of the people. Before the bill can be formally laid before the House again, Speaker Bagbin stated he must perform the procedural duties stipulated by the Standing Orders of Parliament.

In response to these developments and the ongoing delays, the National Coalition for Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values has issued a two-week ultimatum to Parliament. The Coalition demands the immediate transmission of the Bill to President John Mahama for his assent, threatening nationwide action if the deadline is not met. Moses Foh-Amoaning, the Coalition’s lead convener, expressed profound frustration over years of political hesitation and bureaucratic hurdles since the bill was passed by Parliament in February 2024.

Mr. Foh-Amoaning urged Parliament and the Executive to expedite the process, stating that a simple covering letter should suffice for transmission. He called on President Mahama to honor his public commitment to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk and reiterated that the Coalition would not accept further excuses. The group also advocates for the restoration of clauses providing for care, treatment, and support for persons engaged in LGBTQ+ practices, which were removed from an earlier version, should the President decide to reintroduce it as a public bill.

Echoing the call for immediate action, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, a sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, urged Parliament to act swiftly on the Speaker’s ruling. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, the Assin South MP affirmed that the Speaker’s decision aligns with the Minority’s long-held position that the bill expired with the eighth Parliament and must undergo the full legislative process anew in the ninth Parliament. Rev. Fordjour stressed the need for concrete action over mere rhetoric, demanding that the bill appear on the Order Paper immediately for its first reading and subsequent processes. He warned that sponsors would not tolerate any further delays in the legislative process.