Ghana | Anglican bishops soften support for anti-LGBTQI+ bill
mambaonline.comThe Anglican Church of Ghana has taken a small step back from its previously unfettered support for the country’s appalling anti-LGBTQI+ bill. In October, it was reported that the House of Bishops representing the Anglican Church in Ghana said that “[we] have thrown our weight behind the anti-gay (LGBTQI+) Bill currently before the House of Parliament, Ghana.” According to Church Times, the bishops have now issued a new statement that appears to reject further criminalising LGBTQI+ people. “We… agree that, the criminalisation of sections of the bill are severe and must be reviewed.
Rather we propose a transformational agenda,” said the Bishops. They also said: “Ghanaian citizens must not use the bill as an avenue to assault persons with homosexual orientation but show love to them as the Church of Jesus Christ is called to demonstrate the love of God by protecting all vulnerable people and groups.
Acts of harassment, intimidation, and hostilities against LGBTQ+ people should be condemned.” Nevertheless, the clerics did not reject the bill outright and they made it clear that they do not approve of homosexuality, painting it as intrinsically unGhanaian. “We agreed that, though human dignity is always dominant, LGBTQI+ activities are frowned upon by the Ghanaian ethnicity and therefore, traditions, values, cultural and social frameworks must not also only be regarded but, respected and appreciated,” they said.
The Bishops added: “Generally, we, as a Church in Ghana, seek to strengthen Ghanaian family life by promoting Human Sexual Rights that is supported and accepted by Ghanaian family values.” Late last year, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and around 20 LGBTQI+ members of the General Synod of the Church of
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