Ghana’s homophobes are confused about the status of their cruel LGBTQ bill
Opponents of the refiled bill call it unconstitutional, discriminatory and expensive
Anti-gay politicians in Ghana revealed this week that they were confused about the status of the harsh Anti-LGBTQ Bill that parliament passed last year, only to see it expire without a presidential signature.
A group of politicans had said in March that they had refiled the bill that fell short last year.
But this week they discovered that the bill was not on Parliament’s official order of business.
“We thought that the bill had been passed”, said Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga.
He suggested that the government had been under the impression that the anti-LGBTQ bill was already in the final stages of completion.
To make sure that Parliament will act on the bill, a group of bipartisan Members of Parliament reintroduced it.
The bill was laid before the House for its first reading on Tuesday, October 21, as Parliament resumed from recess.
The sponsoring MPs include Samuel Nartey George, MP for Ningo-Prampram; John Ntim Fordjour, MP for Assin South; Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzra, MP for Ho West; Helen Adjoa Ntoso, MP for Krachi West; Nurideen Muhammed Mummuni, MP for Nalerigu/Gambaga; Vincent Ekow Assafuah, MP for Old Tafo; Alhassan Tampuli Sulemana, MP for Gushegu; Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, MP for Dadekotopon; Dr. Tiah Abdul Kabiru Mahama, MP for Walewale; and Anthony Mmieh, MP for Odotobri.
The bill is officially known as the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2025,.
If enacted, it would expand on Ghana’s current law that provides a three-year prison sentence for same-sex intimacy. The new bill would add the same punishment for people who:
- Identify as (“hold out as”) LGBTQ;
- Participate in gender-reassignment surgery; or
- Enter into a same-sex marriage or attend a same-sex wedding.
It would also impose prison sentences of up to 10 years on people who “promote” LGBTQ activity.
Ghana’s Human Rights Commission told Parliament it would encroach on the fundamental human right of association.
Davis Mac-Iyalla, the executive director of the Interfaith Diversity Network of West Afric (IDONWA) a,
Executive Director of IDONWA, said the bill is unconstitutional, discriminatory and would place a financial burden on the nation by forcing it to imprison anyone who “promotes” LGBTQ+ rights.
Mac-Iyalla published this commentary on the IDONWA website:
“Dead on Arrival”: Ghana’s Reintroduced Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Violates Constitution Again
Ghana’s Parliament has, once again, reintroduced the so-called Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill—a Private Member’s Bill that seeks to criminalize LGBTQ+ identities, advocacy, and even journalism. But just like its predecessor introduced in 2021, this bill is not only discriminatory—it is unconstitutional.
Article 108: The Bill’s Fatal Flaw
Under Article 108 of the 1992 Constitution, the Speaker of Parliament is prohibited from allowing any bill that imposes a financial burden on the State unless it is introduced by the government. This bill proposes prison sentences of up to 10 years for individuals who “promote” LGBTQ+ rights—including journalists, allies, and advocates.
That means:
Convicts must be housed, fed, and secured—at the taxpayer’s expense.
The bill is not government-sponsored, yet it mandates costly enforcement.
This is a textbook violation of Article 108. The Speaker is constitutionally barred from proceeding. Any attempt to do so undermines the integrity of Parliament and the rule of law.
A Bill That Lapsed—and Should Stay Buried
The original version of this bill, introduced in 2021, lapsed without passage. It was widely condemned by legal experts, human rights defenders, and international observers. Its reintroduction in 2025 is not a revival—it’s a repetition of error.
Legacy, Clarity, and Constitutional Courage
Let it be known: this bill is dead on arrival. No amount of posturing or moral panic can override the Constitution. Ghana’s democracy is not a playground for populist punishment. We must anchor our laws in justice, clarity, and fiscal responsibility.
To every journalist, advocate, and citizen who refuses to be silenced—stand firm. The Constitution is on your side. And to those who seek to weaponize Parliament against dignity and truth: the law has spoken. You may reintroduce the bill, but you cannot resurrect its legitimacy.
