Minister of Communications and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has expressed her concerns regarding the inclusion of a provision in the Anti-LGBT bill that criminalizes the use of sex toys.
She argues that this particular provision, outlined in clause 3(c) of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, would inadvertently impact heterosexual couples who utilize sex toys to enhance their intimate experiences. Clause 3(c) specifically prohibits sexual activity involving a person and an inanimate object.
The Communications Minister and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West emphasized the need for clarity from Parliament if the intention is to criminalize the use of sex toys. She asserts that it should be made clear that the bill is not solely targeting the LGBT community but rather encompasses all individuals. Alternatively, she calls for the immediate removal of clause 3(c) if the criminalization of sex toys is not the intended purpose of the bill.
During the deliberation of the Anti-LGBT bill in Parliament, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful voiced her concerns and made these statements.
“And I think we raised this when the committee was considering it that the proposed amendment in 3(c) may create unintended consequences because sexual intercourse between a man and an inanimate object or between a woman and an inanimate object would necessarily include sexual intercourse with all manner of aids that couple use to enhance the sexual experience.”
“And I’m not sure if that’s what the intention of this bill is. It would necessarily include sex toys and other aids that couples, heterosexual couples also use to enhance the sexual experience.
“So if that is what the house intends then we have to be clear in our minds that we may be criminalising activities which may not necessarily be limited to only those LGBTQI community that the target of this bill is, but it may also be targeting straight couples who use sex enhancement tools to enhance the sexual experience.
“So we need to be mindful of the unintended consequences of 3(c) could be and I’ll propose that 3(c) be deleted from this amendment.”
In the midst of this, the Parliament faced a deadlock in determining the suitable penalty for LGBTQ+ individuals involved in acts of unnatural intimacy with one another.
The legislation seeks to make same-sex relations, as well as relations between a person and an animal or object, illegal, with a proposed punishment ranging from 3 to 5 years of imprisonment.
Nevertheless, the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee put forth a suggestion of a maximum jail term of 3 years, refraining from proposing a minimum sentence. Shedding light on the reasoning behind this proposal, the Chairman of the Committee elucidated on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.
