Ghana approves Africa's most restrictive anti-LGBTQ laws

Ghana’s Parliament has approved one of Africa’s most restrictive anti-LGBTQ laws, reviving controversial legislation that imposes prison terms for same-sex relations and support for LGBTQ activities, despite strong criticism from human rights groups and international organisations. According to africanews, Ghana’s Parliament on Friday approved the Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, a measure widely regarded as one of the toughest anti-LGBTQ laws on the African continent. The legislation now awaits ratification by President John Mahama before it can become law. Lawmakers had passed the Bill unanimously in 2024, but former President Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign it before leaving office, causing the legislation to lapse under constitutional rules. The law imposes prison sentences of up to three years for individuals who engage in same-sex relations. It also prescribes penalties of between three and five years for those found promoting, sponsoring or intentionally supporting LGBTQ activities. While the newly approved version maintains the core provisions of the original Bll, lawmakers introduced exemptions for legal professionals, healthcare workers and media practitioners. Human rights organisations and several international bodies have strongly criticised the Bill, arguing that it threatens fundamental freedoms and could increase discrimination against LGBTQ individuals. Critics say the legislation risks undermining protections for freedom of expression, association and access to healthcare. Supporters, however, argue that the measure reflects the country's cultural and religious values. Ghana remains a deeply religious and socially conservative nation, with a Christian majority and strong public opposition to same-sex relationships. Such relationships are already prohibited under a colonial-era law inherited from British rule, although prosecutions have been rare. The Bill’s approval is expected to reignite debate both within Ghana and internationally over the balance between cultural values, human rights and individual freedoms.

Full africanews report

Religious leaders have pressured Mahama, who still needs to ratify the legislation, to strengthen anti-gay laws since he came to power last year, reports BBC News. The ban has been sharply criticised by international organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which said it placed LGBTQ+ peoples' lives at risk while also ‘encouraging citizens to surveil and denounce one another’. Same-sex relationships have been banned in Ghana under laws dating from the British colonial era. Anyone who identifies as an ‘ally’, a general term for a supporter of LGBTQ+ people, could also face a prison sentence. Exemptions were included for legal, media and healthcare professionals who report on LGBTQ+ issues or provide medical treatment or other services for gay people. Human Rights Watch recommended the Bill be abandoned in a formal submission to the constitutional and legal affairs committee scrutinising the legislation in the capital, Accra. Several African countries have cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights in recent years. Senegal's Parliament approved similar legislation in March prescribing a maximum prison term of 10 years for sexual acts by same-sex couples and criminalising the '’promotion'' of homosexuality. Uganda introduced a death penalty for certain same-sex acts in 2023.

Full BBC News report

The law has triggered praise and outrage, reports ABS-CBN. ‘A disgrace of a Parliament,’ Naana Agyemang Preprah, a student at the University of Ghana, told AFP. The law imposes a penalty of up to three years' jail for people who engage in homosexual relations, and between three and five years for the promotion, sponsorship or intentional support of LGBTQ activities. Religious and conservative voices quickly welcomed the development. ‘This is very good. Well done Parliament. I know President Mahama will do the right thing and assent to this Bill soon,' Reverend Joseph Nii Obodai told told AFP. But rights advocates warned that the law could have far-reaching consequences beyond its intended targets. Human rights lawyer Gloria Boadu said the legislation threatened core democratic freedoms. ‘The anti-LGBTQ Bill does not just target queer people. It targets anyone who believes in human rights. That is not democracy. That is censorship. A country that criminalises advocacy weakens its own democracy,' she said.

Full report on the ABS-CBN site