The Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa (IDNOWA) has called upon Most Rev. Philip Naameh, Chair of the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference, to reconsider their support for the recently passed “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, 2024.”
The act has sparked controversy due to its provisions, which criminalise individuals based on their sexual orientation and impose stringent reporting requirements.
The letter, signed by Davis Mac Iyalla, Executive Director of IDNOWA, stated, “We urge you and your fellow bishops to read the Act carefully; criminalising people based on their inward dispositions is wrong.”
IDNOWA highlighted the potential harm caused by provisions in the Act that compel spiritual caregivers, family members, and friends to report LGBT+ individuals to the police, as well as the protection granted to anti-LGBT+ media content.
The letter cited Pope Francis’s condemnation of criminalizing individuals with homosexual tendencies as an injustice, urging the bishops to follow the Pope’s leadership in this regard.
“Your support for this Act has created panic among many of the LGBT+ people of Ghana, and among many of the people who love them, do not chase souls away. Do not lead our society into greater conflict and vitriol.”
IDNOWA reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s teaching on respecting the dignity of LGBT+ individuals, emphasising the need to avoid unjust discrimination and condemning violence or malice directed towards them.
“We believe that our sexual orientations and gender identities belong to God’s creation and are part of his plan for the salvation of humankind,” the letter asserts.
The organisation calls upon the bishops to advocate for the human rights of LGBT+ Ghanaians, pledging support for their access to pastoral care and personal counselling.
Additionally, IDNOWA urged the bishops to provide legal assistance to individuals affected by the Act, should it receive presidential assent.
“In the spirit of synodality, ask us to talk with you,” the letter concluded.
Source: ghanaweb.com
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