Sam George criticises AIDS Commission over lubricant distribution to gays

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation and Ningo-Prampram MP, Samuel Nartey George, has launched a sharp attack on the Ghana AIDS Commission over its distribution of lubricants to men who have sex with men (MSM), arguing that such expenditure undermines the Commission's core mandate and diverts resources from critical public health priorities.

Mr George made the remarks on Thursday, April 23, during parliamentary deliberations on the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, of which he is the lead sponsor.

"We have evidence of Ghana AIDS Commission officers meeting with pro-LGBTQ groups and giving them lubricants. If the Ghana AIDS Commission is supposed to fight HIV, why are you giving lubricants to men to have anal sex with men?" he said.

The MP dismissed the Commission's stated justification, that the materials are intended to reduce HIV transmission among already-infected individuals — calling it counterproductive.

"The excuse given is that these are people who already have HIV, and so they don't want them to spread it. So they are giving them lubricants. That in itself is an activity that continues to perpetuate anal sex between men," he stated.

Mr George also called for public health funding to be redirected toward maternal healthcare, which he described as a more pressing national need.

"If they really want to fund public health, they should go and give maternal beds for women who do not have beds for delivery. This one, we won't open the door," he added.

The remarks came amid broader parliamentary debate over the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, a piece of legislation that has drawn significant national and international attention for its implications on LGBTQ rights in Ghana.