Lawmakers in Ghana have once again put forward a highly controversial bill that, if enacted, would rank among the most severe anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Africa.
The proposed Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill outlines stringent penalties, including a three-year prison sentence for individuals who simply identify as LGBTQ+, up to five years for those advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, and as much as 10 years in prison for anyone involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy targeting minors.
Currently, same-sex relations are already illegal in Ghana, classified as “unnatural carnal knowledge” and punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment. The country also lacks legal recognition of trans identities, provides no gender-affirming care, has minimal anti-discrimination protections, and bars queer individuals from serving in the military.
The bill was initially passed by Ghana’s parliament in February 2024, but the then-president, Nana Akufo-Addo, left office before signing it into law.
His successor, John Dramani Mahama, who assumed office in January, previously stated that the bill was “dead” but suggested revisiting discussions on the matter.
According to Reuters, lawmakers from multiple political parties have now reintroduced the legislation, which bears striking similarities to Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, and it is backed by 10 members of parliament.
Since its initial introduction, the bill has drawn widespread criticism from human rights organisations. There are also growing concerns within Ghana about potential economic repercussions, as billions of dollars in international aid from foreign governments and institutions such as the World Bank could be at risk.
Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué condemned the bill, stating:
“The anti-LGBT rights bill is inconsistent with Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and flies in the face of the country’s international human rights obligations. Such a law would not only further erode the rule of law in Ghana but could also lead to further gratuitous violence against LGBT people and their allies.”
Speaking to Reuters, Ghanaian trans woman Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi expressed her distress over the bill’s return, calling it “disheartening and hard to process.”
