Parliament has approved the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely referred to as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill.
The legislation, which seeks to prohibit LGBTQ+ activities and related advocacy in Ghana, was passed following the adoption of several amendments.
The revised bill includes provisions that exempt certain individuals and institutions from sanctions that would otherwise apply under the law.
Members of the Minority Caucus opposed the amendments during deliberations, arguing that the changes raise questions about the adequacy of the earlier version of the bill that had been forwarded to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assent.
According to the Minority, the amendments suggest that the previous draft required significant corrections.
Despite these concerns, the bill secured parliamentary approval.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has been one of the most debated and contentious legislative proposals in Ghana in recent years.
The bill was introduced to strengthen the country’s legal framework on same-sex relations and to restrict the promotion, advocacy, sponsorship, and funding of LGBTQ+ activities.
Prior to the introduction of the bill, Ghana’s laws already criminalised same-sex sexual relations.
Section 104 of the Criminal Offences Act prohibits what is legally termed “unnatural carnal knowledge,” a provision that has historically been interpreted to cover consensual same-sex relations between adults.
Supporters of the legislation, however, maintained that existing laws did not adequately address issues such as LGBTQ+ advocacy, public campaigns, activism, and financial support for related activities.
They argued that additional legal measures were necessary to address those concerns.
The bill was originally introduced in Parliament in 2021 as a private member’s bill.
It was sponsored by Ningo-Prampram MP Sam George and several co-sponsoring lawmakers drawn from both sides of the House.
By 1960news.com
