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A group of 10 MPs in Ghana have resubmitted a controversial bill seeking to impose some of Africa’s harshest restrictions on LGBT rights.
The proposed legislation prescribes a three-year jail term for individuals who identify as gay and sentences ranging from five to 10 years for those who promote or advocate for LGBT rights.
Although Ghana’s parliament passed the bill last year, former President Nana Akufo-Addo refused to sign it into law before leaving office in January, citing legal challenges. Following the dissolution of the previous parliament ahead of the December general elections, all pending bills that had not completed the legislative process, including receiving the president’s signature, were dropped. The bill’s revival has reignited debates, and it remains uncertain whether the new Speaker of Parliament will admit it for consideration.
Ghana already criminalizes gay sex, with offenders facing up to three years in prison. President John Mahama has expressed a preference for the bill to be state-sponsored to ensure broader consultation and support. “I do think that we should have a conversation on it again so that all of us, if we decide to move that bill forward, move it forward with a consensus,” he said.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is necessary to protect what they see as Ghanaian culture and family values. However, rights groups have strongly opposed it. “This legislation contradicts Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and directly violates the country’s international human rights obligations,” said Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué last year. “Such a law would not only further erode the rule of law in Ghana but could also lead to further gratuitous violence against LGBT people and their allies.”
For activists like Va-Bene Elikem Fiatsi, a transgender woman and vocal LGBT rights advocate, the bill’s reintroduction is a significant setback. “It’s disheartening and difficult to process,” she told Reuters, though she emphasized that activism for LGBT rights in Ghana would persist.
The bill also raises economic concerns. Ghana’s former finance minister warned that its passage could put up to $3.8 billion in development funding from the World Bank at risk and impact the country’s $3 billion IMF support program. Despite these concerns, some MPs believe Ghana no longer faces the risk of economic sanctions. Opposition MP John Ntim Fordjour has dismissed fears of financial repercussions, citing Donald Trump’s election in the U.S. as a sign of growing global support for conservative values.
The bill was first introduced in 2021 but has faced multiple delays. Its fate now depends on how the new parliament and President Mahama choose to handle the renewed debate amid local and international scrutiny.
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