Ghana reintroduces anti-LGBTQ bill
Ghanaian lawmakers have reintroduced a highly restrictive anti-LGBTQ bill, aiming to impose harsher penalties on same-sex relationships and related activities.
Three sponsors of the bill confirmed to Reuters that the legislation, which had previously stalled due to legal challenges, was reintroduced in parliament on February 25.
The bill is backed by 10 lawmakers, including ruling party members Samuel Nartey George and Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, as well as opposition lawmaker John Ntim Fordjour.
Under current Ghanaian law, same-sex sexual acts are punishable by up to three years in prison. The proposed bill seeks to increase the maximum penalty to five years and introduce jail time for individuals or organizations found guilty of “wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities.”
This move marks a significant escalation in the crackdown on LGBTQ rights and those advocating for sexual and gender minority rights in the country.
The bill was initially approved by Ghana’s parliament in February 2024 but was not signed into law by then-President Nana Akufo-Addo before his term ended in January.
Under Ghana’s legislative process, any bill passed by parliament must be signed by the president to become law. The current administration, led by President John Dramani Mahama, now faces the decision of whether to enact the controversial legislation.
The reintroduction of the bill has raised concerns about its potential economic repercussions. Last year, Ghana’s finance ministry warned that the bill, if signed into law, could jeopardize $3.8 billion in World Bank financing and derail a $3 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
