At the second reading of the bill in Parliament on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, the House unanimously adopted the report on the bill championed by the MP for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah, gave time to members to contribute to the bill.
Ursula who doubles as the Communications Minister contributing to the LGBTQI bill appeared to have veered from the general contribution condemning the act.
She responded to the NDC MP Murtala who had allegedly whispered at the back that she was a practitioner of same sex.
Murtala did not speak into the microphone and, therefore, could not be regarded as an official statement, but Ursula said she heard it.
In a reply, she also allegedly said that Murtala was mad.
After some time, Ursula demanded an apology from the Tamale Central MP.
But Murtala said he did not speak into the microphone and, therefore, could not be asked to withdraw.
"I said so many things, may I please know which one I should withdraw," he stated.
For peace to prevail in the House, Murtala said he had withdrawn all statements after the second Deputy Speaker asked the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, to urge his colleague to withdraw.
Ursula Owusu said if she has offended Murtala with her comments, she also apologized.
However, Parliament has adopted the motion of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliament Committee on the LGBTQ bill.
Among the members who contributed to the debate was Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Dan Botwe, who described as madness the activities of lesbians, gays, bi-sexuals, and transgender (LGBT) humans.
He said it is a satanic force that should not be allowed to fester in the country.
In August 2021, a bill was introduced in parliament to further restrict the rights of LGBT+ people.
It includes criminalizing the defense of LGBT+ rights, a duty to report "suspects", the promotion of conversion therapy, and the imposition of harsher prison sentences for homosexuality.
The anti-LGBTQ bill, titled, "The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021", was submitted to Parliament in June 2021.
The submission of the bill to Parliament elicited a major public debate over its appropriateness.
If the bill is passed by parliament, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo could either sign it into law or veto it.