Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Alhassan Suhuyini
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Alhassan Suhuyini, says the biggest challenge of those in the LGBTQ community is harassment they suffer from Ghanaians who abhor the act.
Speaking on Starr Chat with sit-in host Francis Abban on Starr FM Wednesday, the lawmaker said the LGBTG bill will enhance the law on assault thereby protecting persons in the LGBTQ community from abuse.
“Once that bill becomes law you can report somebody and actually get a lawyer to prosecute that person on your behalf for attacking you because you were accused of being gay,” he stated.
However, referring to the CDD’s Afro-barometer report having 93percent of Ghanaians in support of the LGBTQ Bill, Suhuyini said the report is an exact reflection of the Ghanaian society who sees the act as a disorder.
The Tamale South MP further disclosed that the National House of Chiefs has spoken and they are in full support of the bill.
“They spoke clearly; they were not ambiguous about their position on same-sex marriage. There is no culture in any part of Ghana where that conduct is promoted. The fact that it has been in our system or in our communities does not make it who we are.”
He continued “In fact, in our societies, and in our communities it has always been considered a mis-normal, it has always been considered a disorder. But given the tolerant nature of our people, we have lived alongside and tease people with it. But there is no community where it has been accepted, rather it has always been a disorder.”
According to the MP, one of the reasons they were voted for by their people to represent them in Parliament is to protect their cultural values.
“This is not about us Members of Parliament, so when people reduce it to Sam George, Suhuyini, Emmanuel Bedzrah or Rockson they are making a mistake. We are just representatives and in the engagements with our people, among the things that they want us to do are many. One of the things they also want us to do is to ensure that we protect this belief system that has been passed generation after generation.”