Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and co-sponsor of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, Samuel Nartey George, has argued that homosexuality is a mental condition that requires medical and psychiatric intervention.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values, Sam George claimed that homosexuality was historically classified as a mental illness in the United States before being removed from medical literature following social and political advocacy.
“All of this onslaught is a mental condition. Homosexuality is a mental aberration. It’s an aberration of the mind. These are people who need mental and psychiatric care. And I’m not just saying this, because until 1976 in the United States, homosexuality was part of what was considered a mental illness in the medical and scientific manual of the US.
“That’s how doctors who were trained in the US before 1976 were trained. The decision to take it out as a mental illness was not based on science. It was based on a social campaign. You don’t change scientific facts with social science,” he stated.
Sam George also urged Parliament to proceed with transmitting the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill to President John Dramani Mahama for the next constitutional steps.
According to him, Parliament has completed its role after passing the bill and does not have the authority under its Standing Orders to reconsider it following calls by Speaker Alban Bagbin for further discussions.
“The Speaker has made an appeal. I have gone through the Standing Orders since I saw that appeal, and there is nothing in our Standing Orders for a rescission. When Parliament passes a bill, Parliament is functus officio,” he said.
He maintained that the only remaining responsibility of Parliament is to forward the bill to the President for consideration.
“The only role Parliament has today is to transmit the bill to the President. When it goes to the President, the President has indicated he would want to scrutinise the bill. The Constitution spells out the steps the President can take,” he added.
Sam George further contended that the Speaker’s suggestion for a reconsideration of the bill is not supported by parliamentary procedure, insisting that any further action on the legislation now rests with the President in accordance with the Constitution.
