Wednesday, June 19, 2013 03:37 
"No Need For Gay Legislation"...Pro-temp Findley Asserts; As Taylor Introduces Anti-Same Sex Bill
Story by Morrison O.G. Sayon
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The President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate, Gbehnzongar Findley has said that there is no need for any legislation on the protection of gay and lesbian rights in the country.
Addressing his monthly press briefing on Thursday, Pro-tempore Findley said the issue of gay right is not an issue in Liberia as no one has been denied his/right to practice gay or lesbianism in the country.
Pro-tempore Findley clarified that the Constitution of Liberia guaranteed the right of everyone including those involved in same sex practices. “Are these being any act of discrimination against any of them; is there any discriminatory law against them or have they been disfranchised or are people throwing stone at them?” Pro-tempore Findley wondered.
He said as President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate any act of infinitive whether for or against will not fall under his gavel. He noted that the Constitution does not in any way infringe on the right of anyone including gay and lesbians. He said the organic law of the country guarantees such right and will not be the one to decide.
“There is no need for legislation for gay and lesbians right because it is in the law and if anyone feels that their right is being violated let them go to the court,” the Grand Bassa County Senior Senator averred.
Meanwhile, the office of the President Pro-tempore of the Liberian Senate, Gbezongar Findley has termed as “gross misrepresentation of facts” the Friday February 10. 2012 edition of the Women Voices Newspaper captioned: “Same sex marriage is not a crime in Liberia- says President Pro-tempore but some Liberians are disappointed in him”.
The Pro-temp's office clarified that the story is not only based on gross misrepresentation of the facts but falsehood. The office said, “Why out of the 27 media institutions that covered the press briefing, only the Women Voices Newspaper chose to thread the path of unethical, unprofessional and yellow journalism by maliciously distorting the information provided by the Pro-temp?”
The office reminded the reporter who covered the press conference of the elementary “ABC” principle of good journalism which “he superfluously failed to follow because of his personal aggrandizement and selfish interests at the expense of the Pro-temp.”
In a release signed by Mr. Moses Whenyou, press attaché to Pro-temp Findley, the office is seriously troubled by the fact that the Women Voices' reporter failed to seek clarification on the issue when he had the opportunity to do so after the press conference. “This action on the part of reporter Taigbailee is embedded and signals an attempt to incite the public against the Pro-temp,” the release said.
The release further questioned the editorial judgment of the Women Voices Newspaper by putting in quotation a statement that was never made by the Pro-temp during the press conference. The office maintains that its boss has made it clear that the issue of gay rights, whether for or against will not fall in his gavel as long as he remains President Pro-temp.
At the same time, Bong County Senator, Chief Nye Suah Coco Jewel Howard Taylor has introduced another anti gay bill in the Liberian Senate. Sen. Taylor's bill is the second anti-gay bill emanating from the Legislature following the recent one that was introduced in the House of Representatives by Lofa County Representative, Clarence Massaquoi.
The bill seeks to amend and reinstate Section 2.3 of the Domestic Relations Law to provide for the prohibition of same sex marriages in the country.
