On Wednesday, Ghana's parliament voted to pass a highly controversial anti-LGBTQ bill that intensifies a crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ people and those promoting lesbian, gay, or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities in the West African country.
The 'Human Sexual Rights and Family Values' Bill is one of the toughest anti-LGBTQ laws in Africa.
Ghana's Parliament Passes Anti-LGBTQ Bill
According to Al Jazeera, a coalition of religious and traditional leaders supported the legislation favored by most lawmakers and approved it in parliament on Wednesday.
The bill would punish people who support the rights of the LGBTQ community, as well as those who engage in LGBTQ sexual acts. It still needs the president's approval to become law, which observers believe is unlikely before the upcoming election in December.
Activist groups have criticized the bill as a human rights regression and urged Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo's administration to reject it. However, the legislation is widely supported in Ghana, where Akufo-Addo has declared that homosexual marriage will never be allowed while he is in office.
A group of Ghanaian, Muslim, and Christian traditional leaders backed the anti-gay bill and had strong support from members of parliament.
Homosexual sex is already illegal in the religious West African nation. Although there is a lot of discrimination against the LGBTQ community, there has never been a prosecution under colonial-era law.
Furthermore, the bill's provisions could result in six months to three years of imprisonment for those who take part in LGBTQ sexual acts. It also imposes a prison sentence of three to five years for the wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ activities.
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Activist Groups Speak Out
Angel Maxine, Ghana's first openly transgender musician and LGBTQ activist, told Reuters, "My heart is broken and devastated at the moment; that's all I can say for now." She added, "My pronouns are She/her/hers."
According to Ghana's constitution, the bill will be presented to Akufo-Addo after it has been voted in parliament, and he will have seven days to either approve or reject it.
If he approves, the bill becomes law. Despite avoiding the heated discussion surrounding the measure, Akufo-Addo stated he would respond once it is voted on by parliament.
Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the United Nations Aids agency UNAIDS, said the bill would affect everyone if it became law. She also noted that punitive laws, as embodied by the bill, are a barrier to the elimination of AIDS and eventually jeopardize everyone's health.
Furthermore, Byanyima claimed it would worsen fear and hatred, encourage violence against fellow Ghanaians, and have a detrimental effect on the rights to free speech, association, and mobility.
She continued that if passed into law, it would make it difficult to receive life-saving care, undermine social protection, and endanger Ghana's progress toward development.
