Ghana’s Parliament has once again passed the controversial Anti-LGBTQ+ bill, officially known as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. This development marks the second time the bill has cleared parliamentary hurdles, as it seeks to enforce strict measures against the LGBTQ+ community. While previously passed in 2024, it lapsed due to the absence of presidential assent. The recent approval on May 29, 2025, follows procedural lapses identified by President John Dramani Mahama and Speaker of Parliament Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, urging its reintroduction and repassage.
The legislation, supported by both the National Democratic Congress and New Patriotic Party, aims to prioritize heterosexual relationships as a means to uphold Ghana’s traditional family structures. Key provisions include banning individuals from identifying as non-heterosexual, dismantling LGBTQAP+ organizations, and imposing custodial sentences ranging from three to ten years for violations. Such measures have sparked significant discussion concerning Ghana’s adherence to international human rights commitments.
The introduction of this bill was perceived as a response to the opening of an LGBTQAP+ resource center in Accra, which ignited public concerns over cultural values. Human rights activist Ernest Yaw Ako highlighted historical coexistence of same-sex relationships in pre-colonial Ghana, arguing that recriminalizing homosexuality reinforces colonial-era domination structures. He advocates for recognizing diverse identities as part of Ghana’s sociocultural fabric.
There is considerable debate about whether the bill infringes upon human rights protected by treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. Ghana, as a United Nations member, upholds treaties which assert inherent and non-discriminatory human rights across various identities. Limitations to such rights must adhere to non-arbitrary standards as guided by international provisions.
The law’s emphasis on morality and public order echoes Roscoe Pound’s concept of law as social engineering, reflecting community morals and public expectations. President John Dramani Mahama indicated his readiness to assent to the bill should it receive Parliament’s endorsement. The contentious nature of the bill continues to elicit diverse reactions domestically and internationally, as it awaits a final decision from the presidency. This development has been reported in detail in recent reports.