Ghana’s Parliament has approved a bill that criminalises homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities, introducing tougher restrictions on sexual minorities in the West African country.
Under the proposed law, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer could face up to three years in prison. The legislation also requires citizens to report prohibited acts to the police.
The bill now awaits the approval of President John Mahama before it can become law.
Religious groups in Ghana have continued to push for stricter anti-gay laws since Mahama returned to office last year. Supporters of the legislation argue that it is necessary to protect the country’s cultural and family values.
The proposed law has drawn criticism from international rights organisations. Human Rights Watch warned that the bill could endanger LGBTQ+ people and create an environment where citizens monitor and report one another.
Same-sex relationships are already illegal in Ghana under laws inherited from British colonial rule.
Presenting the bill before Parliament, its sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, said the legislation was designed to preserve Ghanaian cultural and family values.
He said the new bans would make existing laws “more robust, more encompassing, and more stringent in dealing with the practices of LGBTQI”.
The bill also targets individuals who publicly support LGBTQ+ rights. Anyone identifying as an “ally” could face a prison sentence under the proposed law.
However, exemptions have been made for legal practitioners, journalists and healthcare workers who report on LGBTQ+ matters or provide medical services to gay people.
Human Rights Watch urged lawmakers to abandon the bill during its submission to the constitutional and legal affairs committee in Accra.
A similar bill was passed by Ghana’s Parliament in 2024 but failed to become law after former President Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign it while court challenges were ongoing.
President Mahama has previously expressed support for the legislation. Shortly after assuming office, he stated that “I believe in the principles and values that only two genders exist – man and woman. And that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
Ghana joins a growing number of African countries that have introduced stricter laws targeting LGBTQ+ rights in recent years.
In March, Senegal’s Parliament approved legislation that provides for prison terms of up to 10 years for same-sex sexual acts and criminalises the ”promotion” of homosexuality.
Uganda also enacted one of the continent’s toughest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in 2023, introducing the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
(BBC News)
About the Author
