Mahama Ayariga issues warning to LGBTQ individuals: “Change your ways or face the law.”

His remarks follow Parliament’s passage of the controversial legislation on Friday, May 29, after lawmakers debated the bill and considered a number of proposed amendments. The bill, widely referred to as the anti-LGBTQ bill, seeks to regulate matters relating to human sexual rights and family values. It has generated intense public debate, attracting strong backing from supporters while drawing criticism from human rights advocates and civil society groups. Speaking on Eyewitness News, Ayariga said individuals who identify as LGBTQ would be expected to adjust their conduct in line with the new legal framework once the bill becomes law. “If you’re a boy, you shouldn’t be wearing the dresses of girls around town. If you know that you’ve been practising LGBTQ in this country, with this bill having been passed today, immediately it is assented to by the President, you will have to change,” he stated. According to the Majority Leader, the bill’s passage represents a significant milestone, and its provisions will take effect once President John Dramani Mahama signs it into law. Despite his warning, Ayariga stressed that the legislation does not endorse violence or vigilante action against individuals suspected of engaging in LGBTQ activities. He noted that the bill contains strict penalties for mob justice, assaults, or attacks targeting accused persons. “Mob action is seriously frowned upon in the bill and carries very serious consequences. Anybody attacking, assaulting or lynching any person accused or suspected of practising LGBTQ will be punished even more severely than the practitioners of LGBTQ,” he said. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill remains one of the most contentious pieces of legislation in Ghana’s recent history and now awaits presidential assent before becoming law.