ACCRA, GHANA
The Ghanaian parliament has passed a deeply concerning piece of legislation that criminalises identifying as LGBTQ+ and seeks to punish those who support the community. The bill, officially titled the 'Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill', now only requires presidential assent to become law.
Under the new provisions, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer could face a prison sentence of up to three years. The legislation goes further, imposing a potential five-year sentence on anyone found to be promoting or sponsoring LGBTQ+ activities. This broad language could effectively outlaw any form of advocacy, support groups, or public expression of solidarity.
In a particularly alarming clause, the bill introduces a "duty to report" suspected LGBTQ+ individuals to the authorities, a measure that rights groups warn will create a climate of fear and suspicion, encouraging citizens to surveil and report on one another.
Political and Social Context
The bill has been championed by a coalition of religious and conservative groups in the country. Its sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, told parliament that the legislation would protect traditional Ghanaian values and make existing colonial-era laws against same-sex acts "more robust, more encompassing and more stringent."
The legislation now moves to the desk of President John Dramani Mahama. His public statements suggest he is likely to sign it into law. Shortly after taking office, he stated, "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."
International organisations have been swift to condemn the move. Human Rights Watch has previously stated that the bill violates fundamental human rights and puts the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Ghana at significant risk.
A Worrying Trend in the Region
Ghana's new legislation is not an isolated event but part of a wider trend of increasing state-sponsored homophobia across parts of Africa. In 2023, Uganda enacted one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws, which includes the death penalty for so-called "aggravated homosexuality." More recently, Senegal's parliament also approved legislation to toughen penalties against same-sex acts.
For the LGBTQ+ community in Ghana and their allies, the passage of this bill marks a significant and dangerous escalation, leaving many in a state of uncertainty and fear for their safety and freedom.
