During an official visit to Ghana, US Vice President Kamala Harris criticized a proposed law that would punish homosexual relations with up to five years in prison and called for it to be scrapped. However, a Ghanaian parliamentarian, Sam George, called the US hypocritical for criticizing the law while doing business with countries that punish homosexuality with death, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Ghana’s Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin called Harris’ statements undemocratic and said Ghana will pass the legislation regardless of Washington’s stance. The proposed legislation seeks to classify homosexual relations as a second-degree felony punishable by three to five years in prison, while those who promote such activities would face five to 10 years behind bars.
Parliamentarian Sam George noted that the United States does business with countries that punish homosexuality with death, such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and asked why they do not threaten those countries. He also mentioned the hypocrisy of the United States coming to Ghana and Africa to threaten LGBTQ people while doing business with countries that have similar or even stricter laws. For his part, Ghana’s Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin said Harris’ statements were undemocratic and that his country will pass the proposed legislation regardless of Washington’s stance.
In short, the Ghanaian parliamentarian criticized the hypocrisy of the United States in criticizing the proposed law in Ghana while doing business with countries that have similar or stricter laws on homosexuality. Meanwhile, the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament defended the passage of the proposed law and criticized Harris’ statements as undemocratic pressure.