Catholic Bishops urge Parliament to expedite anti-gay bill passage
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) has called on Parliament to expedite the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely known as the anti-LGBT bill, describing it as long overdue.
GCBC stressed that while Parliament must follow its internal processes, many Ghanaians expect the bill to be debated and passed before the current parliamentary term ends.
This follows the direction of the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to the Business Committee to schedule the bill for consideration at the next sitting of the House.
The move follows a Financial Impact Analysis which concluded that the proposed legislation does not place any financial burden on the Consolidated Fund, a constitutional requirement for private members’ bills.
Speaking to Citi News, the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, said the Conference cannot dictate Parliament’s procedures but is urging lawmakers to conclude discussions and eventually pass the bill.
“This is Parliament and we can’t hurry their law. What we are interested in is that the thing is on the floor and then they are discussing it. We can’t hurry their processes, but we can urge them to bring the bill back for discussion.
“They delayed in their own time. They think that this is the time that it is due for them to discuss the. They are doing what they have to do. What Ghanaians expect is that this bill should be passed. This parliament should pass the bill before it closes in three or four years’ time.”
