The Danger of the Bill That Has Not Yet Become Law

The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill is still before Parliament. It has not been passed. Yet its presence alone has already changed the atmosphere in the country.
Reports of attacks have increased. Private gatherings have become risky. People who were once quiet about their lives have become even quieter. Some have left their communities. Others have stopped speaking to relatives out of fear of what might follow.
A bill does not need to become law to create fear. The mere discussion of severe punishment can embolden those who already wish to harm others. It can also pressure families to reject their own members before the state does it for them.
We should not wait for the final vote to recognise the damage that is already being done.