Proposed Law Threatens Rights to Nondiscrimination, Free Expression
- By: Larissa Kojoué | Researcher
- Photo: Queer rights activist Angel Maxine opposing the anti-LGBT bill in Accra, Ghana. © Angel Maxine
Lawmakers in Ghana have reintroduced a draconian bill that jeopardizes the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. On February 17, the Ghanaian parliament formally received the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-LGBT bill, marking the latest chapter in a prolonged legal and legislative process that started in 2021.
Ghana’s parliament first passed a version of the bill in February 2024, but it expired without then-President Nana Akufo-Addo’s approval. At the time, Akufo-Addo said he would not allow Ghana to backslide on human rights and the rule of law. However, his successor, President John Dramani Mahama, who returned to office in January 2025, has signaled his support for the proposed law.
The reintroduced bill significantly expands criminal sanctions related to same-sex conduct and imposes up to three years in prison for anyone who even identifies as LGBT. It also subjects individuals and organizations who advocate for the rights of LGBT people, including parents of LGBT children, teachers, journalists, doctors, and human rights defenders, to prosecution. If enacted, the law would also force LGBT organizations to dissolve and put donors and partner organizations at risk.
Ghanaians who identify as LGBT suffer widespread discrimination and abuse in public and in family settings. Since 2021, they have faced increasing repression marked by arbitrary arrests and closures of community services, as well as hostile and misleading media coverage.
Ghana is set to host the fourth African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family and Sovereignty in Accra in May 2026, a platform with documented ties to US-based far-right advocacy groups. Previous editions have featured speakers who promoted Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act as a model for other African legislatures.
Opposition to the bill exists. Influential voices like Cardinal Peter Turkson and the prominent politician Samia Nkrumahhave called for dialogue and inclusion. Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice has likewise warned parliament that the bill would infringe on fundamental rights of Ghanaian citizens.
Instead of falsely juxtaposing ostensible Ghanaian values with human rights, Ghanaian leaders should uphold the international legal protections that guarantee every Ghanaian the rights to equality, nondiscrimination, freedom of expression, and privacy.