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A group of 10 Ghanaian lawmakers has reportedly resubmitted a controversial bill that would impose some of the harshest restrictions on LGBT rights in Africa.
According to the BBC, the bill proposed a three-year prison sentence for individuals who identify as gay and five to 10 years for those who promote or advocate for LGBT rights.
The legislation was initially passed by parliament last year, but former President Nana Akufo-Addo declined to sign it into law before leaving office in January, citing legal challenges.
With the dissolution of the previous parliament ahead of Ghana’s December general election, all unfinished bills, including the anti-LGBT legislation, were dropped.
It remained unclear whether the speaker of the new parliament would allow the bill to be reconsidered.
Ghana already criminalised same-sex relations, with penalties of up to three years in prison.
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However, supporters of the bill argue that stronger measures are necessary to protect what they see as traditional Ghanaian culture and family values.
President John Mahama suggested that the bill should be state-sponsored to ensure broader support and consultation.
“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.
The bill had faced strong opposition from human rights organizations, both locally and internationally.
“The anti-LGBT rights bill is inconsistent with Ghana’s long-standing tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and flies in the face of the country’s international human rights obligations,” Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué stated last year.
Critics have also warned of potential economic repercussions.
Ghana’s former finance minister previously cautioned that passing the bill could jeopardize up a US$3.8 billion in World Bank development funding and impact the country’s US$3 billion IMF support programme.
Despite these concerns, opposition lawmaker John Ntim Fordjour dismissed fears of economic sanctions, pointing to a shifting global political climate.
“The global political climate is favorable for conservative values, as demonstrated in the bold conservative pronouncements of President Donald Trump,” he told Reuters.
The bill was first introduced in 2021 but has faced multiple delays. Its reintroduction signals renewed debate over LGBT rights in Ghana.
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