Citizens are now legally obligated to report suspected violations to police.
In Accra, Ghana's parliament has codified into modern law what colonial statute once left ambiguous — the criminalization of LGBTQ+ identity, expression, and solidarity. The bill, awaiting a presidential signature that appears nearly certain, prescribes up to three years imprisonment not only for those who identify as LGBTQ+, but for those who stand beside them. It is a moment that places Ghana within a widening regional current, where the language of tradition and values is being used to construct legal architectures of exclusion — and where the consequences fall most heavily on those already living in the margins.
- Ghana's parliament has passed legislation that criminalizes not just same-sex conduct but the very act of identifying as LGBTQ+ or publicly supporting those who do — a legal reach that extends into identity itself.
- A mandatory reporting clause transforms ordinary citizens into potential state informants, creating a climate in which neighbors, colleagues, and acquaintances may be legally compelled to denounce one another.
- President Mahama, who blocked a similar bill in spirit by succeeding a predecessor who refused to sign one in 2024, has publicly signaled he will ratify this version — citing traditional values and a binary definition of gender.
- Human Rights Watch formally urged parliament to abandon the bill, warning it endangers lives and constructs a surveillance society, but the constitutional committee allowed it to advance regardless.
- Ghana joins Senegal and Uganda in a regional tightening of anti-LGBTQ+ law, with Uganda having already introduced capital punishment for certain same-sex conduct — a trajectory that advocates warn shows no sign of reversing.
Ghana's parliament has voted to transform a colonial-era prohibition on homosexuality into a sweeping modern legal framework. Under the new bill, identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer carries a prison sentence of up to three years. The law extends beyond identity: publicly supporting LGBTQ+ people — as an 'ally' — is also criminalized, and citizens are now legally required to report suspected violations to police.
The bill's sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, described it as a defense of Ghanaian family and cultural values, designed to make existing prohibitions more stringent and encompassing. Narrow exemptions exist for lawyers, journalists, and healthcare workers acting in professional capacities — but for everyone else, association or support carries potential criminal liability.
President John Dramani Mahama, who took office last year, has signaled he intends to sign the legislation. He has stated publicly that he recognizes only two genders and that marriage belongs exclusively to heterosexual couples — positions that align with the bill's intent. A similar measure passed parliament in 2024 but stalled when the previous president declined to ratify it amid legal challenges. This time, the path appears clearer.
Human Rights Watch submitted a formal recommendation to parliament's constitutional and legal affairs committee that the bill be abandoned, warning it places LGBTQ+ lives at risk and creates the conditions for a surveillance state in which citizens are encouraged to watch and betray one another. The committee allowed the bill to advance regardless.
Ghana's move reflects a broader regional pattern. Senegal passed comparable legislation in March, prescribing up to ten years for same-sex acts. Uganda introduced capital punishment for certain same-sex conduct in 2023. For LGBTQ+ Ghanaians, the immediate reality is a legal regime that criminalizes their existence and enlists their neighbors as informants — with a presidential signature that now appears almost certain to complete the process.
Ghana's parliament has voted to criminalize homosexuality, transforming what was once a colonial-era statute into a modern legal framework with teeth. The new bill makes it illegal to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer—offenses punishable by up to three years in prison. But the law reaches further than identity alone. It also criminalizes anyone who publicly supports LGBTQ+ people, a category the bill calls "allies," and it imposes what amounts to a civic duty: citizens are now legally obligated to report suspected violations to police.
The legislation awaits ratification from President John Dramani Mahama, who took office last year and has already signaled his intention to sign it. In remarks after his inauguration, Mahama stated plainly that he believes only two genders exist and that marriage belongs exclusively to heterosexual couples. Religious leaders have been pressing him to do exactly what he appears inclined to do—strengthen Ghana's hand against LGBTQ+ people and their supporters. The bill's sponsor, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, framed the measure as a defense of Ghanaian family and cultural values, arguing it would make existing prohibitions "more robust, more encompassing, and more stringent."
The law does carve out narrow exemptions. Lawyers, journalists, and healthcare workers who encounter LGBTQ+ issues in their professional capacity—whether reporting on them, treating patients, or providing other services—are protected from prosecution. Everyone else faces potential criminal liability for association or support.
This is not Ghana's first attempt. In 2024, parliament passed a similar bill, but it stalled when the then-president, Nana Akufo-Addo, declined to sign it amid legal challenges. This time, with Mahama's apparent backing, the path to law appears clearer. The bill has already survived scrutiny from the constitutional and legal affairs committee in Accra, where Human Rights Watch formally submitted a recommendation that it be abandoned entirely. The organization warned that the legislation places LGBTQ+ people's lives at risk and creates a surveillance state, one in which citizens are encouraged to watch and betray one another.
Ghana is not alone in this direction. Across Africa, countries have been tightening restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights. Senegal's parliament approved comparable legislation in March, prescribing up to ten years in prison for same-sex sexual acts and criminalizing the promotion of homosexuality. Uganda went further still, introducing capital punishment for certain same-sex conduct in 2023. What is happening in Ghana reflects a broader regional pattern—a hardening of law and social policy against LGBTQ+ people, often framed in terms of protecting tradition and national values.
The immediate consequence for LGBTQ+ Ghanaians is stark: they now live under a legal regime that criminalizes their existence and enlists their neighbors as informants. The mandatory reporting clause transforms everyday life into a landscape of potential denunciation. For those who have built lives, relationships, and communities in Ghana, the passage of this bill signals that the state no longer tolerates their presence. What remains to be seen is whether Mahama will complete the process by signing it into law—a step that appears, based on his public statements, almost certain to come.
Citações Notáveis
The bill protects Ghanaian family and cultural values and makes existing laws more robust, more encompassing, and more stringent in dealing with LGBTQ+ practices.— Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, bill sponsor
The legislation places LGBTQ+ peoples' lives at risk while encouraging citizens to surveil and denounce one another.— Human Rights Watch
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why does Ghana need to criminalize something that was already illegal under colonial law?
Because old laws often sit dormant or are enforced inconsistently. This bill modernizes the prohibition and adds enforcement mechanisms—the mandatory reporting clause is the key innovation. It turns citizens into enforcers.
The bill protects lawyers and doctors who work with LGBTQ+ people. Doesn't that suggest some recognition that these are human beings who need services?
It's a pragmatic carve-out, not a recognition of dignity. It says: you can treat them medically or defend them in court, but you cannot support them socially or publicly. It's a way to maintain the law's reach while acknowledging practical necessity.
President Mahama seems ready to sign this. Did he campaign on this issue?
Not explicitly in those terms. But he made his values clear immediately after taking office—statements about two genders, traditional marriage. Religious leaders have been pushing him, and he appears aligned with that pressure. This is less about campaign promises and more about who he is and who he listens to.
What does the mandatory reporting clause actually mean for ordinary people?
It means if you know someone is gay or suspect it, you have a legal obligation to report them. It creates a climate where trust breaks down—between friends, family members, neighbors. It's designed to make LGBTQ+ people isolated and visible.
Is there any legal challenge likely?
Human Rights Watch has already called for the bill to be abandoned, but they have no power in Ghana's system. There could be constitutional challenges once it becomes law, but that depends on whether Ghanaian courts are willing to strike it down. The 2024 bill stalled partly due to legal pressure, but Mahama's government may be more committed to seeing this through.