8 members of parliament in Ghana brought forward a bill that would criminalize the country’s LGBT+ community and its allies.
There is no law in Ghana currently that criminalizes being LGBT+. However, same-sex conduct is criminalized under a penal code instituted by the British colonial government. The proposed Bill recommends harsh prison sentences for LGBT+ Ghanaians and allies.
Together with partners in Ghana, we asked LGBT+ Ghanaians about their lives in Ghana, the things that they find meaningful, and how their lives will change if the anti-LGBT Bill is passed.
Listen to the powerful voices of LGBT+ Ghanaians as they authentically share their stories of survival and resistance.
8 members of parliament in Ghana have brought forward a bill that would criminalize the country’s LGBT+ community and its allies.
We are calling on the authorities of Ghana to reject this bill, and to put in place urgently needed protections for LGBT+ people.
Update – 28 February 2024
Today, Ghana's Parliament unanimously passed the ‘Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill’, stripping away the rights, safety and dignity of LGBT+ Ghanaians. The Bill will now be sent to the President for approval. Call on the Ghanaian President to reject the bill. The lives of LGBT+ Ghanaians are on the line.
Now, more than ever, your support is crucial.
Update – 8 February 2024
Today Ghana's Parliament completed the consideration stage of the Anti-LGBT+ Bill moving it closer to its passage. The Parliamentary Committee, bill sponsors and drafters of the bill were asked to refine and finalize the proposed amendments then present the bill for the Third Reading. It could be passed in a matter of days.
The proposed legislation is one of the most severe and cruel anti-LGBT+ bills to arise in recent history. Local activists describe it as “a homophobe’s dream.”
If passed, anyone suspected of being LGBT+ and anyone who supports LGBT+ friends, coworkers, family members or neighbors could be punished with prison terms of up to five years. Advocating for LGBT+ rights could be punished with up to 10 years in prison.
The bill also promotes so-called “conversion therapy”, a harmful and discredited practice that claims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBT+ people in Ghana have already been under attack, especially in recent months. Activists and community members in Ghana fear a dramatic increase of discrimination and violence should the bill pass.
We are calling on the authorities of Ghana to reject and dismiss this bill. If Ghana is truly a champion of democracy, as its leaders often claim, then every Ghanaian deserves their rights and freedoms honored, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
To: The President of Ghana:
LGBT+ people in Ghana are under attack – from arbitrary arrests to homophobic statements from religious and political leaders. The ‘Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill’ presented to parliament is the latest in this wave of attacks.
If passed, the bill would strip away basic human rights from hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians, lead to an atmosphere of fear and repression across the country, and to an increase in attacks against LGBT+ people, their families and friends.
Every Ghanaian deserves the freedom of speech, of privacy, of association, and to feel safe in their own country.
We are calling on the Constitution and Legal Affairs Committee, and the President of Ghana, to reject and dismiss this bill, and to enact protections for LGBT+ people in the law.
