The world is watching how Ghana handles anti-LGBTQ bill — Speaker Bagbin

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, has stated that the international community is closely monitoring developments surrounding the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025.

The bill was passed by Parliament on Friday, May 29, after a heated debate on the floor of the House.

It seeks to criminalise LGBTQ+ activities, advocacy, and what it describes as the promotion of non-conventional sexual relations and family values.

Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, June 2, Speaker Bagbin, who was absent at the time of the bill's passage, stressed the need for strict adherence to parliamentary procedures, particularly on legislation of such national and international significance.

The veteran lawmaker asserted that any procedure used for the passage of the controversial legislation must withstand legal scrutiny.

“The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025 and its implications on the LGBTQ+ issue is a global concern; therefore, the eye of the world is upon this Parliament, the Parliament of Ghana. What we do here must be able to withstand any legal and constitutional challenges that are sure to come,” he stated.

The Speaker explained that concerns have been raised about whether all amendments adopted during the consideration stage were properly incorporated into the final version of the bill before it was read for the third time and passed.

He noted that the legislation was initially promoted as a bipartisan initiative and should therefore reflect broad parliamentary consensus and procedural integrity.

Speaker Bagbin argued that Parliament's credibility depends not only on the substance of laws it passes but also on the process used in enacting them.

“It is therefore my considered view that a legislation of this magnitude ought, as far as practicable, to command not merely the numerical support of a majority of members but also the broad confidence of the House regarding both its substance and the process by which it was adopted,” he said.

The Speaker further appealed to lawmakers to revisit the bill through the appropriate parliamentary procedures to address the concerns that have been raised.