I support the non-criminalization of LGBTQI+ – Afenyo Markin

Deputy Majority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Afenyo Markin, has said that he supports the non-criminalization of LGBTQI+.

He says as a Catholic, he supports the position espoused by his church and will not go in contravention of it.

To him, an individual’s sexual orientation should not be an issue that will take him/her to jail.

Afenyo Markin made his position known when he was reacting to the position espoused by Cardinal Peter Turkson.

He said “Personally, I don’t think that somebody claiming to be a lesbian or gay should go to jail by virtue of that. That is the opinion of the Catholic Church.

I’m a Catholic, Second Deputy Speaker who is here is also a Catholic. We are Catholics and the law is very clear and I don’t think that the Church has said I should hold a contrary view to it.

The Church has said that by the culture of Africans, we are against…I don’t think that somebody claiming to be a lesbian or a gay should go to jail. The Catholic Church has made its position clear that it is against same-sex marriage but it is also against criminalizing somebody who has that sexual orientation. I am a Catholic and I don’t hold contrary view to what the Catholic Church is saying,” he told TV3.