Liberation in the Bedroom: Ghanaian Minister Ursula Owusu Takes Aim at Anti-Sex Toy Legislation
Sex Toys Shouldn’t Be Criminalized – Ursula Owusu
According to Mrs. Ursula Owusu, Communications Minister and Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, the inclusion of clause 3(c) in the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021, criminalizing the use of sex toys, might unintentionally impact heterosexual couples who utilize these devices to enhance their intimate experiences.
Clause 3(c) specifically prohibits sexual activities involving a man or woman with an inanimate object.
Ursula Owusu, addressing Parliament, emphasized that if the objective is to criminalize sex toys, it’s crucial for the House to clarify that the bill is not exclusively aimed at the LGBTQ+ community but applies to everyone.
“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, especially heterosexual couples, also use to enhance their 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 communities that the target of this bill is, but it may also be targeting straight couples who use sex enhancement tools to enhance their sexual experience.
“So we need to be mindful of the unintended consequences of 3(c), and I’ll propose that 3(c) be deleted from this amendment,” she noted, as reported by Pulse Ghana
If the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill is approved, it could criminalize identifying as gay, transgender, or queer, with potential consequences including a maximum prison sentence of five years.
This parliamentary decision is anticipated to settle the ongoing discourse surrounding the legalization or prohibition of LGBTQI+ matters in Ghana.
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