Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, the French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie, and International Partnerships, has spoken on the continuing discussion over the rights of the LGBTQI+ population in Africa.
Ms. Zacharopoulou is of the opinion that everyone's basic human rights, including those of the LGBTQI+ community, must be safeguarded by the law.
She said that standing up for these people's rights is a fundamental principle of France and the European Union and that she will continue to do so wherever she travels in Africa while speaking at a news conference in Accra on Monday evening (April 3).
"We advocate for human rights in my nation and the European Union, and of course, my Ministry has an ambassador to advocate for LGBT rights, so what I I will continue to assert that we must respect all of us, the LGBT community, and that this is a matter of human rights everywhere I travel in Africa, she added. "All I can say is that this is our ideals," she said.
In addition to the planned Appropriate Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, often known as the Anti-Gay Bill in Ghana, which aims to punish LGBTQI+ activity there, over 30 African nations now forbid same-sex relationships.
If enacted, the measure would make it illegal to assist the LGBTQI+ group in any way and call for jail time for those who have same-sex relationships.
On Monday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo stated that his government's involvement caused the measure being discussed in Parliament to be "changed."
President Akufo-Addo made it clear that the measure was not an official government policy but rather had been introduced by a "handful" of private members during a joint press conference with US Vice-President Kamala Harris.
He said that important portions of the measure had already been modified since the Attorney General had provided recommendations to a parliamentary committee questioning the validity of specific clauses in the law. If Parliament gave its approval for the measure to get the President's assent, President Akufo-Addo did not say what he would do.
Ms. Harris stated that she had discussed the situation with President Akufo-Addo and added that the US viewed it as a human rights issue.
In Ghana, where homophobic attitudes are common, having gay intercourse is now punished by up to three years in prison; however, the new bill would bring longer punishments.
Since 2021, the measure has been the subject of open hearings in parliament; the exact date of its vote is unknown.
Same-sex marriage is not acceptable, and President Akufo-Addo has already indicated that it would never be legalised while he is in office.
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