Ghana’s Parliament has approved the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, criminalising same-sex relations and the promotion or funding of LGBTQ activities.
The bill passed Friday through a voice vote after unanimous approval from the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor confirmed.
First introduced last year after President John Dramani Mahama’s inauguration, the bill now heads to the President for assent amid heavy pressure from religious groups and civil society supporters.
A similar version was passed in 2024 under former President Nana Akufo-Addo but stalled over legal challenges and was never signed into law.
Key provisions in the new bill:
1. Same-sex relations: Up to 3 years imprisonment retained.
2. Promotion/funding: New stricter clause. Anyone who promotes, sponsors, or funds LGBTQ activities faces up to 5 years in jail.
3. “Duty to report”: Citizens must inform authorities of prohibited acts. Failure to report can attract jail time.
4. Extradition: Amends the 1960 Extradition Act to make offences under the bill extraditable.
The passage is expected to trigger fresh debate in Ghana and abroad over human rights, constitutional protections, and international relations.
