Speaker Of Parliament Urges Parliament To Reconsider Passage Of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has called on Members of Parliament to revisit and repass the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, citing concerns over the procedures followed during its final passage.

In an appeal to Parliament, Speaker said the bill, which was passed on May 29, 2026, should be reconsidered to ensure it enjoys broad bipartisan support and fully complies with the Standing Orders of the House.

The Speaker noted that although he did not preside over proceedings on the day the Bill was passed, he had a responsibility as head of Parliament to safeguard the institution’s integrity and ensure that parliamentary procedures were properly followed.

He said concerns had emerged regarding the application of several Standing Orders governing the final stages of the legislative process, particularly provisions requiring amendments adopted during the consideration stage to be incorporated into a Bill and made available to members before the third reading.

The Speaker explained that Standing Orders also provide an opportunity for further consideration of a Bill before its final passage and require at least one sitting day to elapse between the consideration stage and third reading, unless the House formally suspends those rules.

“These provisions exist to ensure that Members are afforded a meaningful opportunity to know with certainty the exact text of a Bill upon which they are called to take a final legislative decision,” he said.

According to him, questions have been raised about whether the final version of the Bill, reflecting all approved amendments, was available to members before the third reading and final vote.

He also acknowledged concerns from some lawmakers that amendments adopted during consideration did not fully reflect the unanimous recommendation contained in the committee’s report on the Bill.

While stressing that it was not the Speaker’s role to determine whether those concerns were justified, he said they touched on parliamentary consensus and public confidence in the legislative process.

He noted that the Bill has attracted international attention because of its implications for LGBTQ+ issues and warned that Parliament’s actions would be closely scrutinised.

“The eye of the world is upon this Parliament. What we do here must be able to withstand any legal and constitutional challenges that are sure to come,” he said.

The Speaker emphasised that the Bill had been promoted from the outset as a bipartisan initiative. He argued that legislation of such national importance should command not only majority support but also broad confidence across the House.

“What is right must be done rightly,” he stated.

The Speaker therefore appealed to Parliament to use the procedures available under its rules to revisit the legislation and pass it again in a manner that reflects bipartisan agreement.

“I call on Parliament to rely on the provisions on motions and the conventions of this House, to go back to this historic and important Bill and repass it in a way that is truly bipartisan,” he said.