Deputy Minority Whip, Iddrisu Habib, has criticised the Mahama administration for failing to respond publicly after a viral video surfaced online showing two men, allegedly a gay couple, kissing and celebrating at Ghana’s iconic Independence Square.
The video, which has triggered widespread backlash across social media platforms, appears to depict a same-sex wedding celebration with the Ghanaian national flag visibly displayed in the background.
Addressing the matter on the floor of Parliament on Friday, June 27, Habib condemned what he described as the government’s “deafening silence” and questioned its position on LGBTQ+ rights.
“You could see from our colleagues when I raised issues about the LGBTQ+, they went to sleep. Are you in support of LGBTQ? Is it the case that the government now supports LGBTQ? Because I’m raising a serious matter—three days ago, two men were kissing at the Independence Square. There are videos and pictures to that effect. And you are pretending as if you haven’t seen it,” he stated.
His remarks intensified the already heated debate surrounding LGBTQ+ rights in Ghana, particularly as the nation awaits the reintroduction of the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Parliament.
Responding to Habib’s concerns, Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini acknowledged public frustration but stressed Parliament’s readiness to take firm action once the bill is back before the House.
“I want to assure our colleagues on the other side that we’re disappointed our first attempt to outlaw the LGBTQ community in Ghana did not yield results. If it did, perhaps the Independence Square kissing they are talking about would have been considered unlawful, and the people would have been arrested and punished,” Suhuyini noted. “But that notwithstanding, we are ready to consider the Bill whenever and however it is introduced in the House.”
The exchange has reignited debate over LGBTQ+ visibility and rights in Ghana, and whether the use of national symbols in such public displays should be regulated. Meanwhile, the fate of the anti-LGBTQ+ bill remains a closely watched issue as Parliament prepares for its next legislative session.
