Ghana’s Legislative Body Votes to Outlaw LGBTQ+ Existences and Support
The Ghanaian Parliament unanimously passed a bill intensifying legal actions against LGBTQ+ individuals and their supporters, awaiting President Nana Akufo-Addo’s approval. The new law proposes increasing prison terms for homosexual acts from three to five years and criminalizes advocacy, support, or self-identification as LGBTQ+ or allies. The bill’s introduction followed backlash against Ghana’s first LGBTQ+ advocacy center in Accra, leading to its closure. The legislation has faced international criticism for violating fundamental rights, notably from the Human Rights Campaign. British-Ghanaian artist Campbell Addy responded with a poem expressing his distress over the bill’s implications for LGBTQ+ Ghanaians. This situation also highlights a historical debate, with evidence suggesting that same-sex relationships have been part of Ghanaian culture long before Western influence, contrary to what some contemporary politicians claim. Read full article