Public concern grows as Ghana passes far-reaching legislation criminalising LGBTQ+ activity.
Advocacy groups warn that, if signed into law by President John Dramani Mahama, the legislation could leave many LGBTQ+ individuals vulnerable to discrimination, including the loss of housing, employment opportunities, and access to healthcare services.
Ghana’s LGBTQ+ community is living in fear after parliament approved a sweeping bill that would criminalise both identifying as LGBTQ+ and the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights and activities, according to rights groups.
The legislation, passed on Friday, provides for prison sentences ranging from three to 10 years. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill is now expected to be signed into law by President John Dramani Mahama.
Community organisations say many LGBTQ+ people fear losing their homes, jobs, or access to healthcare if the bill takes effect. Some have already begun reviewing and deleting social media posts amid concerns that their identities could be exposed.
“People are panicking and scared,” said Leila Lariba, director of One Love Sisters Ghana, an organisation that supports lesbian and bisexual women. “The new bill affects where you live; it could lead to eviction and the loss of employment.
“No matter how safe you think you are,” she added, “you do not know who is prepared to report you.”
Lariba said her organisation has urged community members to take extra precautions online and offline.
“We have advised people to prioritise their safety. If they have content on their social media pages that could put them at risk, we are encouraging them to remove it. People need to be cautious about what they post because they do not know how this law could be used against them,” she said.
Same-sex relations were already criminalised under a colonial-era law inherited from British rule, although the provision was rarely enforced. The new legislation significantly broadens criminal liability and is intended to target not only LGBTQ+ individuals but also their allies, including those who provide support, services, funding, or advocacy.
Under the bill, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer could face prison terms of up to three years. Those convicted of the “promotion, propagation, advocacy, support or funding” of LGBTQ+-related activities could receive sentences of up to 10 years. The legislation also includes provisions requiring citizens to report suspected LGBTQ+ individuals.
Amendments approved by lawmakers exempt healthcare professionals and lawyers from prosecution for providing services to LGBTQ+ people. However, activists warn that the stigma generated by the legislation is likely to discourage individuals from seeking essential support, including HIV testing, healthcare, and legal assistance in cases of discrimination.
“We believe the president will sign the bill,” said Lariba. “People will use this as a justification to discriminate against and harass others. Such incidents are already occurring, but if this legislation becomes law, we fear they will increase significantly.”
Ghana’s parliament approved similar legislation in 2024, but former president Nana Akufo-Addo left office without signing it into law.
Addressing parliament, the bill’s sponsor, Rev John Ntim Fordjour, argued that the proposed legislation would safeguard Ghanaian family values and cultural traditions.
However, Ebenezer Peegah, director of the LGBTQ+ rights organisation Rightify Ghana, warned that the measure threatens fundamental freedoms and would have consequences extending far beyond same-sex relationships.
“This bill is extremely far-reaching,” he said. “It criminalises identity and restricts services, including the work of civil society organisations and healthcare providers offering care to LGBTQ+ individuals. It also targets those deemed to promote same-sex relationships, including journalists and vendors of sex-related products, and even criminalises the failure to report individuals suspected of violating the law.”
“Since the beginning of this year alone, we have documented 80 cases involving members of our community who have been exposed, abused or evicted from their homes,” he added. “Many of our colleagues are asking how they can leave Ghana, but we do not know how to assist them. There is a growing sense that the international community no longer cares, particularly under the Trump administration.”
The bill comes as Ghana prepares to host the fourth African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty in Accra from 3 to 6 June. It marks the first time the conference will be held in Ghana, following three consecutive years in Uganda.
Uganda’s widely criticised anti-LGBTQ+ law, which includes the death penalty for what it terms “aggravated homosexuality”, was signed by President Yoweri Museveni shortly after the inaugural conference in 2023.
Ipas, an international reproductive rights organisation, said the conferences have increasingly served as platforms for influencing policies related to sexual and reproductive health and rights across Africa.
Peegah described the passage of Ghana’s bill as “a gift” to the conference, which is expected to propose an African charter on family, sovereignty and values. The proposed treaty rejects what it characterises as “harmful gender ideologies”, framing them as foreign imports that threaten African moral and cultural values.
“We know that this is not only an attack on LGBT communities in Ghana,” he said. “It is an attack on the entire LGBT community in Africa. That’s why we believe it will be signed into law quickly, just as the Ugandan president did when Uganda hosted this same conference.”
Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been gaining momentum across West Africa. In March, Senegal introduced a law that doubled the maximum prison sentence for same-sex sexual relations to 10 years and criminalised the “promotion” of homosexuality. Last year, Burkina Faso — a country previously regarded as relatively safe for the gay community — enacted legislation criminalising homosexuality.
Rightify is preparing a legal challenge to the Ghanaian bill, arguing that it was rushed through its second and third readings and that the required parliamentary quorum had not been met when the vote was taken.
The proposed legislation has also drawn criticism from international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which warned that it endangers lives and encourages citizens to “surveil and denounce one another.”
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