The parliament in Ghana has approved a new bill criminalising homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities.
Identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer can be punished by up to three years in prison. The bill also introduces a duty to report prohibited acts to the police.
In an address to Parliament, the bill’s sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, said the bill protected Ghanaian family and cultural values. He said the new bans would make existing laws more robust, more encompassing, and more stringent in dealing with the practices of LGBTQI.
Anyone who identifies as an ally, a general term for a supporter of LGBTQ+ people, could also face a prison sentence. However, exemptions were included for legal, media and healthcare professionals who report on LGBTQ+ issues or provide medical treatment or other services for gay people.
Religious leaders have pressured President John Dramani Mahama, who still needs to ratify the legislation, to strengthen anti-gay laws since he came to power last year. President Mahama has indicated he would support the bill’s passage, saying shortly after he took office that he believes 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, including Human Rights Watch, have sharply criticised the ban.
Same-sex relationships have been banned in Ghana under laws dating from the British colonial era. Ghana passed a similar bill in 2024, but it did not become law after former president Akufo-Addo failed to sign it amid legal challenges.
Several African countries have cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights in recent years. Nigeria still maintains a 14-year imprisonment for homosexuality, and Senegal’s parliament approved similar legislation in March, which prescribes a maximum prison term of 10 years for sexual acts by same-sex couples. Uganda introduced a death penalty for certain same-sex acts in 2023.
