Accra, Ghana – Ghana’s parliament has passed a bill that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+. The bill, which is awaiting President Nana Akufo-Addo’s signature to become law, also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.
The bill was passed after a three-year-long debate in parliament, during which attempts to replace prison sentences with community service and counselling were rejected. The legislation also proposes a jail term of up to 10 years for anyone involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy campaigns aimed at children and encourages the public to report members of the LGBTQ+ community to authorities for “necessary action”.
The bill has been criticized by human rights organizations and the international community, with Amnesty International warning that it poses significant threats to the fundamental rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ people. Activists fear there will be witch-hunts against members of the LGBTQ+ community and those who campaign for their rights, and some may have to go into hiding.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has condemned the passage of the bill, calling for it not to become law and urging the Ghanaian government to take steps to ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma, and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill is one of the harshest anti-LGBTQ+ laws in Africa, and if signed into law, it would criminalize a person’s identity and strip away fundamental human rights.
The Big 18 & Human Rights Coalition, an umbrella group of lawyers and activists in Ghana, has urged the president to reject the bill, stating that it would place a heavy burden on the judiciary, the police, and other aspects of life. The debate over the bill has led to increased attacks on members of the LGBTQ+ community, with students being attacked and expelled from school, people being robbed, and many subjected to extortion from community members threatening to out them . The United States has condemned the passage of the bill, stating that it poses a threat to Ghanaian’s constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press, and assembly
