Ghana passes law criminalising LGBTQ+ identity and promotion

Ghana’s parliament has approved a bill that criminalises the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities and identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, carrying prison sentences of three to 10 years. The human sexual rights and family values bill is expected to be signed by President John Dramani Mahama.

Community organisations say LGBTQ+ people fear losing their homes, jobs and access to healthcare, and many are reviewing and deleting online posts to avoid having their identities revealed. Leila Lariba, director of One Love Sisters Ghana, said: "People are panicking and scared.

The new bill affects where you are staying; it can get you evicted; it can lead you to lose your job. We have advised people to prioritise their safety online and offline. If they have content on their social media pages that could put them at risk, we are encouraging them to remove it.

Ghana

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