Minority Leader distances himself from viral LGBTQ post, says account was compromised
The Minority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has distanced himself from a social media post that criticised Ghana's Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, describing the publication as fake and claiming that his Facebook account had been compromised.
The post, which circulated widely on social media on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, appeared to show Afenyo-Markin publicly opposing the controversial legislation, popularly known as the anti-gay bill, which Parliament passed on Friday, 29th May 2026.
In the now-deleted post, the Minority Leader was quoted as arguing that laws should not criminalise individuals based on their sexual orientation or personal relationships.
"A law that imprisons people for their sexual orientation or who they choose to love does not protect society. It simply selects a group of human beings and makes their existence a crime. That is a line no Parliament in the civilised world should cross," the post read.
The comments quickly gained attention and sparked intense debate online, with many users sharing screenshots of the statement amid ongoing discussions surrounding the passage of the bill.
However, shortly after the post was removed, a new message appeared on Afenyo-Markin's Facebook page disowning the earlier publication.
"Kindly disregard this post. Account was compromised," the Minority Leader wrote.
Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, on 29th May after considering a number of amendments. The legislation seeks to criminalise LGBTQ-related activities in Ghana, although exemptions were introduced for legal practitioners, journalists, media organisations, and medical professionals performing their professional duties.
The bill was presented to Parliament by the Member of Parliament for Assin South, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, on behalf of other sponsors on July 24, 2025. The sponsors included Samuel Nartey George, Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Helen Adwoa Ntoso, Nurudeen Muhammed Mummuni, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana, Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, Abdul-Karibu Tiah Mahama and Anthony Mmieh.
Prior to the bill's passage, the Minority expressed strong opposition and threatened to withdraw the bill, accusing the Majority of smuggling amendments that exempted certain professionals and institutions they argued were the very perpetrators of LGBTQ practices. The Majority countered that the exemptions were necessary to align the bill with the Constitution, protecting doctors providing medical services, journalists reporting on LGBTQ matters, lawyers representing accused persons, and academics conducting research.
Following the bill's passage, Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga assured Ghanaians that President John Dramani Mahama would assent to the bill upon his return from overseas.
The bill continues to generate intense public debate, with supporters arguing that it protects Ghanaian cultural and family values, while critics contend that it could infringe on fundamental human rights and freedoms.
The bill was originally passed unanimously by the Eighth Parliament on 28th February 2024 but lapsed in January 2025 without receiving presidential assent from former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo due to legal challenges. It was subsequently reintroduced in the Ninth Parliament by the sponsors.
