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May 27, 2025.

Ghana’s Parliament Ready for First Reading of New Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill
By Melanie Nathan, May 28, 2025

The Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, announced yesterday during his opening speech at the 1st Sitting of the 2nd Meeting of the 1st Session of the 9th Parliament of the 4th Republic of Ghana that the ‘Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025’, sometimes called “The Family Values Bill,” and popularly known as the Anti-LGBTQ Bill, has completed all necessary processes as outlined in the Standing Orders. Bagbin stated that the Bill is now expected to be tabled for its First Reading in Parliament.

This Bill as far as we know mirrors the 2024 Bill that passed Parliament but was times out.

In Ghana, same-sex consensual sexual acts between males is already criminalized by the Colonia-era Penal Code’s Section 104 (1) (a)-(b), Section 104 (2) and Section 278. Ghana also passed new legislation in 2024 known as The Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill,” (FVB), which termed out during former President Nano Akufo-Ado’s term.

A violation of Section 104 is classified as a misdemeanor under Ghanaian law, and can carry up to three years in prison. The Code is incompletely enforced: It licenses arrests and so people are detained. Yet in lieu of a bribe, people are not charged, and so there is often no actual prosecution, but the resulting harms and dangers are many and abhorrent. Police most often take bribes in exchange for releasing detainees.

On July 24, 2024, the Supreme Court of Ghana upheld this old colonial-era law. The judgment was handed down at a time when the country was engulfed in a debate over the new anti-LGBT Bill, which passed Parliament unanimously, and timed out before the former President could attest to it.

There were court challenges that were delayed, unheard and finally dismissed as President Akufo-Ado’s term ended. The case was dismissed because the Court did not consider it law as the President had not yet signed the Bill, keeping it in limbo, until his term ended.

This caused a great amount of controversy, even dramatically impacting the presidential election that now sees Ghana with a new president, John Mahama, who promised that the minute he was presented with the same Anti-LGBTI Bill, he would sign it.

It was during this time that Ghana’s LGBTQI+ community became political pawns in a dangerous game of chess, which continues as such, now.

The law has been criticized by many countries as one of the most onerous anti-LGBTI Bills ever, being that is criminalizes, inter alia, merely identifying as LGBTTQIAA (yes it includes advocates and allies, in this questionable acronym.)

The 2025 Anti-LGBTQI Bill will likely mirror the 2024 Anti-LGBTQI Bill which went further also by criminalizing advocacy for LGBTI rights, funding of LGBTI+ activities, public displays of same-sex affection, and cross dressing and it will impact the push for conversion therapy. It also creates a duty and obligation on all people in Ghana, including parents, teachers, professionals, the legislature, executive and judiciary branches to “uphold Ghanaian proper sexual human rights and family values,” and failing to fulfill this duty is a criminal offense. It also contained an extradition clause, making all LGBTQI+ identified Ghanaians fugitives of the law.

At this point we are unclear on the current content of the Bill or on the punishments it intends to legislate.

It is believed that by legislating this law, Ghana’s economy will suffer a dramatic negative impact which it can ill afford at this time.

There is no coincidence that whenever Parliament brings LGBTQI+ issues into the limelight, attacks against LGBTQI+ surge…. making the state complicit in the violence and harms suffered by LGBTQI+ people in Ghana.

Escalating Threats Against LGBTQI+ Human Rights Defenders in Ghana:
AHRC. May 27, 2025:

In May 2025, the climate for LGBTQI+ human rights defenders in Northern Ghana reached alarming levels of danger and hostility. In two of the most volatile locations—Tamale in the Northern Region and Wa in the Upper West Region—defenders have faced violent attacks, threats, and forced evictions simply for standing up for the rights of queer individuals.

A Growing Crisis in the North

Over the past few years, Ghana’s northern regions have seen a surge in anti-LGBTQI+ campaigns driven by traditional authorities and media actors. Among the five regions in Northern Ghana, Tamale and Wa stand out for the intensity and frequency of threats targeting LGBTQI+ persons and their allies. This crisis is especially severe for human rights defenders who provide direct support to survivors of violence, blackmail, and discrimination.

Tamale: Violence, Death Threat, Eviction, and Banishment

In Tamale, two LGBTQI+ human rights defenders became the targets of violent reprisal after supporting two queer survivors of a homophobic attack.

One defender was tracked to his home by a group of men, violently beaten, and forcibly taken to the Kpalsi Palace. There, he was fined GH₵3,000 and a goat, and banished from the Kpalsi township. His landlord subsequently evicted him, leaving him homeless.

The second defender received a printed photograph of himself accompanied by a death threat, warning him to stop “fighting for gays and lesbians” or face fatal consequences.

These attacks have rendered both defenders homeless and traumatized. With limited resources and no immediate support, they are unable to continue their work or respond to new reports of abuse in their communities.

Wa: Media-Led Persecution and Defamation

In Wa, local media outlets and influencers have played a central role in stirring violence and stigma against LGBTQI+ individuals. In May, two queer individuals were publicly outed when photos of them were shared online by social media users and radio stations, leading to widespread threats and harassment.

A journalist, Yeliminga Naa Abayema of Tungsung Radio, took this persecution further by launching a series of on-air attacks on the LGBTQI+ community. He mentioned names, accused individuals of immoral behavior, and encouraged listeners to oppose queer persons. One of the targets of his defamatory broadcasts was a local human rights defender, whose small business has since suffered reputational damage and financial loss.

This use of media platforms to incite hatred has created a hostile environment where queer individuals and their allies live in fear of being exposed, attacked, or economically destroyed.

Impact on Human Rights Work

These incidents have had a devastating effect on human rights work in Tamale and Wa. Several defenders have been forced to cease their operations, while others have gone into hiding. Many no longer feel safe meeting community members or offering essential services like case documentation, referral support, or psychosocial care.

The systemic nature of these threats—rooted in local power structures and reinforced by media influence—has created a chilling effect across the northern regions.

Immediate Needs of Defenders:

• Security and Protection Services – Safety planning, secure communication tools, and community-based monitoring
• Emergency Relocation Support – Safe accommodation and transportation out of danger zones
• Legal Assistance – Representation for those facing arbitrary fines, defamation, or eviction
• Medical Support – Treatment for physical injuries sustained in attacks
• Psychosocial Support – Counseling and trauma healing for defenders experiencing severe stress and fear

The cases in Tamale and Wa are not isolated—they are symptomatic of a broader crackdown on LGBTQI+ rights and those defending them in Ghana. The deliberate targeting of activists through violence, banishment, public shaming, and economic sabotage must be condemned.

This speaks to value of off shore civil society, where an organization such as AHRC which has had decades of experience in the region can help to vet cases and can ensure recipients of funding are legitimate and people are not scammed.

In general the protection and humanitarian landscape in Ghana and other African countries is shrinking and the need for support is massive, especially since the Trump administration withdrew AID and banned the USRAP program.

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JOURNALIST DECLARES WAR ON GAYS: 

Ghanaian Journalist from WA – Declares ‘War’ on LGBTQI Community, Calls for Local Authority Support. Yeliminga Naa Abayema, a journalist with Wa-based Tungsung Radio, has sparked outrage after declaring “war” on the LGBTQI community in Wa, Upper West Region of Ghana. In multiple videos shared on TikTok, Abayema announced, “Now I have declared war. It’s a war, Abayema versus homosexuals. READ MORE HERE.