Ghana politicians fomented anti-LGBTQ violence during election, report says
Ghana’s major parties used anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to score political points
Advocacy group Rightify Ghana is calling out the extreme anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric of Ghanaian politicians in the wake of last year’s election, with a new report documenting the worst abuses and calling for concrete action for change.
“The intense homophobic campaigning of 2024 has left a legacy of heightened social stigma and vulnerability for LGBTQI+ Ghanaians,” says the report, titled Weaponising Homophobia in Ghana’s 2024 Elections, “Although the worst-case legislative scenario (formal enactment of the bill) was averted by the previous president’s inaction, the climate of intolerance remains acute.”
“Ensuring that Ghana upholds its constitutional principles of freedom and justice for all – rather than entrenching state-sanctioned discrimination – is more urgent than ever,” Rightify Ghana says in a report that urges actions to “counter hate speech and misinformation, protect marginalized communities, and promote a more inclusive democracy going forward.”
The report describes “how anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric, hate speech, and misinformation permeated Ghana’s 2024 election campaign [which ended Dec. 7]. It examines candidate statements, incidents of hate speech and incitement, disinformation tactics (including homophobic campaign advertisements on TV, radio and social media), the role of party manifestos in weaponising LGBTQI+ issues, and the impact of this toxic climate on LGBTQI+ individuals.”
The report also explores “the international influences that shaped domestic anti-LGBTQI+ narratives during 2024.”
Observations of the report, modestly edited, are below:
Public homophobia as a political tactic
“Instances of hate speech proliferated during the 2024 election campaign.
The cumulative effect was to normalise open public hostility toward LGBTQI+ people in a way not seen before in Ghana’s Fourth Republic. What might once have been confined to private pulpits or fringe discourse was blasted through megaphones at campaign rallies and on national media.”
Perhaps the most glaring example occurred at the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) final rally in Accra on December 5. There, MP Francis-Xavier Sosu – a lawyer who, ironically, had a past reputation for defending human rights – led the crowd of thousands in a call-and-response chant that openly vilified gay people. “When I say trumu trumu [a slur for ‘gay’], you say away!” Sosu shouted, and the crowd roared back “Away!” repeatedly. This homophobic chorus was performed enthusiastically four times, as captured on video, effectively turning an anti-LGBTQ slogan into a rally cheer. The fact that Sosu resorted to such demagoguery highlights how politically expedient homophobia had become – even figures known for legal advocacy felt compelled to incite the public against a vulnerable minority to prove their loyalty to the party line. The trumu trumu – away chant not only dehumanised LGBTQI+ people but also carried an implicit encouragement of societal rejection (“send them away”) that many fear could translate into harassment or violence. Human rights observers described the spectacle as “bigotry on display” and noted the “fervent anti-LGBT climate.”
Crowd dynamics created performative hate, where thousands of ordinary citizens were chanting along to derogatory slurs. This not only degrades public debate but poses a real risk of vigilante action. By campaign’s end, many LGBTQI+ Ghanaians feared that such charged rhetoric could be a prelude to physical attacks or communal “witch hunts.” Indeed, observers called the Madina rally chants “especially terrifying for the LGBTI community in Ghana,” noting that both leading parties had made anti-LGBT sentiments a litmus test for leadership. The hate-filled language of 2024 has set a dangerous precedent, effectively giving social approval to homophobia as a legitimate campaign tool – something that must be urgently addressed to prevent backsliding on basic rights and civility.”
Misinformation as a political tactic
In the campaign rhetoric of both NDC and New Patriotic Party (NPP), each side accused the other of harboring closeted gay men who would stealthily advance LGBTQI+ interests – a bizarre paradox given both NPP presidential candidate Mahamudu Bawumia and NDC candidate John Mahama, who was elected President, were loudly anti-LGBT. The goal of these mirror-image smears was less about convincing the public of factual truth and more about associating opponents with something already demonized in the public mind. As Fact-Check Ghana observed, any politician whose anti-gay bona fides were not iron-clad risked being “targeted by opponents as a supporter of homosexuals.” The result was a race to the bottom in which truth mattered little.
Result: Violence, extortion and more
According to local LGBTQI+ rights groups, 2024 saw the highest number of human rights violations against LGBTQI+ persons in recent memory, including forced evictions from homes, physical assaults, blackmail and extortion, online doxxing and threats, and arbitrary arrests. The election season essentially provided social sanction for homophobes to act on their prejudices, knowing that politicians themselves were echoing anti-gay sentiments.
One immediate impact was on housing security. Reports surfaced of landlords and families expelling tenants or relatives merely over rumors of their sexual orientation, citing the “new law” as justification – even though the bill was not actually signed, its passage emboldened such acts. Amnesty International noted that since the bill’s introduction, LGBTQI+ people had already been reporting “forced evictions [and] loss of jobs” due to increased stigma. This trend intensified around the campaign period as anti-LGBTQ talk grew louder. In multiple cases, individuals were rendered homeless overnight after being outed in their community; some were evicted by landlords who feared harboring an LGBTQ person might soon be a crime. Others lost employment when employers leveraged the hostile climate to fire them under false pretenses. The socio-economic toll on LGBTQI+ Ghanaians – many of whom were already marginalised – was severe.
Physical violence against LGBTQI+ persons also spiked. The atmosphere of hate rallies and “othering” propaganda contributed to an uptick in assaults and lynching attempts. Community leaders who might normally calm such situations were less inclined to intervene, given that national leaders were vilifying LGBTQI+ people on stage. The culture of impunity grew – perpetrators of anti-LGBTQ violence often felt they had societal approval. Indeed, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that the rhetoric and pending law were creating a “license for violence” in Ghana, as people felt “emboldened to adopt oppressive measures with impunity.” Queer individuals increasingly went into hiding or avoided public spaces for fear of being recognised and attacked. Community support organisations recorded cases of LGBTQI+ persons being harassed or beaten by vigilantes who cited “cleansing our community” as motive.
Another area of impact was mental health and self-censorship. The relentless demonisation during the campaign had a chilling effect: many LGBTQI+ people experienced heightened anxiety, depression, and a sense of betrayal by their nation. Psychological support service providers noted that queer youth, in particular, expressed hopelessness, with some contemplating suicide as they felt their country hated them. Social media, which can be a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth seeking community, was flooded with hateful content throughout 2024, making even online spaces feel unsafe. Activists reported an increase in calls to helplines and requests for relocation or asylum assistance. Rainbow Railroad, an international NGO assisting LGBTQI+ refugees, noted a surge of Ghanaians seeking help and anticipated even more if the situation worsened.
Crucially, the climate also undermined access to healthcare and social services for LGBTQI+ individuals. Even prior to 2024, Ghana’s LGBTQI+ community faced stigma in healthcare settings, especially for services related to HIV and AIDS. The campaign’s hostile rhetoric greatly exacerbated this. A study in The Lancet has shown that such criminalising environments correlate with higher HIV infection rates among men who have sex with men – a concern now very relevant to Ghana. Health workers themselves felt intimidated; some worried that providing care to a transgender or gay client could later be used to accuse them of “promoting” LGBTQ activities under the new law. The International AIDS Society warned that the bill and surrounding homophobia would “set back the substantial gains made towards ending the HIV epidemic,” as it would drive vulnerable groups away from testing and treatment. Indeed, as the IAS President Sharon Lewin put it, “criminalizing any population fuels the HIV pandemic by excluding people from testing, treatment and care.” 2024 offered a live demonstration of this principle: stigma hindered healthcare access. For example, the NPP’s campaign ad mischaracterizing Mahama’s call to reduce stigma for MSM healthcare likely scared some LGBTQI+ persons from seeking care, since even a former President’s mild pro-health comment was twisted into something nefarious. In short, the politicisation of LGBTQI+ identity directly harmed public health efforts and individual well-being.
Recommendations
The overarching goal is to promote an inclusive democracy in Ghana where no group is demonised for political gain and where fundamental rights are upheld regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Veto or Amend Anti-LGBTQI+ Legislation: The president should refuse to assent to any revival of the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values” Bill in its current draconian form. If legislation is considered, it must be significantly amended to remove provisions that criminalise identity or expression and that violate human rights. Ideally, the executive should work with parliament to pause and reassess the need for such a law in light of constitutional and international human rights obligations.
- Promote Dialogue and Tolerance: The government can initiate or support a national dialogue on social cohesion and inclusion. This could involve town-hall meetings or forums (including religious and traditional leaders, youth, etc.) to foster understanding rather than fear of differences. Government-endorsed public education campaigns highlighting Ghana’s tradition of peace and neighborly love (and how that extends to all) could counter the hateful narratives.
See the full report for its detailed recommendations.
