Ghana’s parliament has approved a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill that would criminalize identifying as queer and impose prison sentences of up to three years. The bill also criminalizes the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities and introduces a “duty to report” acts considered illegal under the law. Allies supporting the queer community could also face imprisonment. Exemptions would apply to people in the legal, media, and healthcare sectors who report on LGBTQ+ issues or provide medical care to queer individuals.
President John Dramani Mahama has not yet signed the bill into law, but religious leaders are urging him to approve it. Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, who sponsored the legislation, told parliament on May 29 that the measure would protect Ghana’s cultural and family values and make anti-LGBTQ+ laws more robust, more encompassing and more stringent in dealing with the practices of LGBTQI. Same-sex relations between men have been illegal in Ghana since British colonial rule, but the new bill would punish people simply for identifying as queer. International human rights groups have condemned the legislation.
A similar bill passed in 2024 but was never signed into law by former President Nana Akufo-Addo due to legal concerns.
