Ghana’s parliament has passed a controversial bill that criminalises homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities, marking a major escalation in the country’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
The proposed law prescribes up to three years’ imprisonment for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. It also introduces a “duty to report” requirement, compelling citizens to report prohibited LGBTQ+ activities to law enforcement authorities.
Religious groups have reportedly intensified pressure on President John Dramani Mahama, who is yet to sign the bill into law, urging him to further tighten restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights since taking office last year.
However, the legislation has drawn strong criticism from international human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which warned that it endangers LGBTQ+ individuals and fosters a culture of surveillance and public denunciation.
Same-sex relationships have long been illegal in Ghana under colonial-era laws inherited from British rule.
Presenting the bill in parliament, its sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, said the legislation is aimed at reinforcing national values and traditions.
He said it would make existing laws “more robust, more encompassing and more stringent in dealing with the practices of LGBTQI”.
The bill also stipulates penalties for individuals who identify as “allies” of LGBTQ+ persons, although exemptions were included for professionals in law, media, and healthcare who report or provide services related to LGBTQ+ issues.
Human Rights Watch has urged lawmakers to abandon the bill in a formal submission to the constitutional and legal affairs committee currently reviewing it in Accra.
A similar bill was passed in 2024 but failed to become law after former President Nana Akufo-Addo did not sign it due to legal challenges.
President Mahama has previously signalled support for stricter measures, stating shortly after assuming office that “I believe in the principles and values that only two genders exist – man and woman – and that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
Across the continent, several countries have recently tightened restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights. In Senegal, lawmakers approved legislation in March prescribing up to 10 years’ imprisonment for same-sex acts and criminalising the “promotion” of homosexuality, while Uganda introduced a death penalty for certain same-sex offences in 2023.
