AFTER NEARLY THREE YEARS OF DEBATE, THE VERY CONTROVERSIAL BILL WAS ENACTED BY GHANA’S PARLIAMENT.

Ghana’s parliament has passed the Anti-LGBTQ bill, which further suppresses the rights of LGBTQ individuals and those advocating for non-traditional sexual orientations or gender identities in West Africa. The bill, sponsored by traditional leaders from Ghana, Islam, and Christianity, imposes a maximum three-year prison sentence for identifying as LGBTQ and a five-year sentence for founding or supporting LGBTQ organizations. Ghana’s lawmaker has proposed that non-custodial punishments, such as therapy, be substituted for jail terms associated with homosexual activities. The bill, backed by Christian, Islamic, and traditional groups in Ghana, would make it illegal to advocate for LGBTQ rights and impose a maximum ten-year prison sentence for doing so. Critics argue that locking up people for LGBTQ offences will increase the rate of homosexuality in Ghana and encourage sodomy within prisons. In exchange for lighter sentences, the measure encourages conversion therapy. The bill has generated debate and anxiety across West Africa, with former president John Dramani Mahama expressing his disapproval of LGBTQ activities. Gay sexual activity is already considered a criminal offense in Ghana, which carries a punishment of three years in prison. The anti-LGBTQ measure has generated a great deal of debate and anxiety. Ghana’s bill, backed by traditional and religious leaders, stipulates that anybody who advocate for LGBTQ rights might spend up to ten years behind bars. A UN report from 2021 stated that the bill would create “a system of state-sponsored discrimination and violence“ against sexual minorities. The draft law promotes “conversion therapy“ by allowing for flexible sentencing for an LGBTQ person who demands “treatment“ to change their gender identity or sexual orientation. UN experts cautioned that the measure violated Ghana’s obligations under international human rights treaties, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The bill is expected to be delivered to President Akufo-Addo for his approval before it is signed into law. Amnesty International issued a serious warning about the law a month ago, stating that it “poses significant threats to the fundamental rights and freedoms“ of LGBTQ individuals.