Fear Grips Ghana’s LGBTQ+ Community as Parliament Passes Harsh New Law

Ghana has passed a contentious law that criminalizes support for LGBTQ+ activities and identifying as gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, with prison sentences ranging from three to ten years. The LGBTQ+ community in the country is living in fear, according to warnings from rights groups.

The law, titled the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill,” was passed by Ghana’s parliament on Friday and is expected to be signed into law by President John Dramani Mahama. Community organizations said LGBTQ+ people are worried they could lose their homes, jobs, or access to healthcare, and most have reviewed and deleted online posts for fear of being exposed.

“People are panicking and scared,” said Leila Lariba, director of One Love Sisters Ghana, a group supporting lesbian and bisexual women. “The new law affects where you live; it could get you evicted; it could lead to job loss. No matter how safe you think you are, you don’t know who is ready to report you.” She urged people to prioritize their safety online and offline and to remove potentially risky content from social media.

Previously, same-sex relations were already banned under Ghana’s British colonial-era laws, but they were rarely enforced. The new law expands criminal liability, targeting both LGBTQ+ individuals and their supporters, including anyone providing services, support, or advocacy. Provisions include up to three years in prison for identifying as gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, and up to ten years for “sponsoring, promoting, advocating, supporting, or funding” LGBTQ+ activities. The law also requires citizens to report suspected LGBTQ+ individuals.

Some amendments passed by parliament exempt healthcare workers and lawyers providing services to LGBTQ+ people from prosecution, but activists noted that the stigma created by the law could deter people from seeking help, including HIV testing or anti-discrimination support. “This law has a very broad reach: it criminalizes identity; it criminalizes services, including the work of civil society organizations and doctors caring for the LGBTQ+ community, as well as supporters of same-sex relations, such as journalists and sex toy sellers. It even criminalizes not reporting others,” said Ebenezer Peegah, director of Rightify Ghana. He said his organization alone has recorded 80 cases from members this year, including people who were outed, abused, or evicted.

The bill was passed as Ghana hosts the fourth Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty in Accra from June 3–6. This is the first time the conference is held in Ghana after three years hosted by Uganda. Uganda’s notorious anti-LGBTQ+ law, which includes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” was signed by President Yoweri Museveni right after the first conference in 2023. International reproductive rights group Ipas said these conferences have become a platform to influence policy on sexual and reproductive health rights across Africa.

Anti-LGBTQ+ laws are on the rise across West Africa. Senegal in March passed a law doubling the maximum prison sentence to ten years for same-sex sexual acts. Burkina Faso, once considered relatively safe, also passed a law criminalizing homosexuality last year. Rightify is preparing to challenge the decision in court, arguing the bill was passed “too quickly” and without a quorum of MPs during the vote. The law has also been condemned by international human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch, which said it endangers lives and “encourages citizens to spy on and report each other.”