HRF expresses concern about the reintroduction of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill in GhanaтАЩs parliament. HRF urges Ghanaian lawmakers to reject political pressure from anti-LGBTQ+ groups and withdraw the draconian bill, which criminalizes the existence of sexual minorities and those protecting their fundamental rights under the guise of protecting family values.
The legislation received its first reading on Feb. 17 and was referred to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for further consideration. Under the repressive bill, individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ could face up to three years in prison, while those accused of promoting or supporting LGBTQ+ rights, including activists, journalists, or civil society organizations, could face up to 10 years. The bill also calls for the immediate dissolution of LGBTQ+ groups and prohibits the creation of new organizations. Same-sex relations are already a criminal offense in Ghana, punishable by a prison term of up to three years.
Parliament previously passed the bill unanimously in 2024, but it faced two legal challenges which were eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court. GhanaтАЩs former president, Nana Akufo-Addo, did not sign the bill into law before he left office in December 2024. By October 2025, the new speaker of parliament declared that the legislation had expired with the previous parliament and needed to be reintroduced.
President John Mahama pledged to sign the bill into law if passed in a meeting with the Christian Council of Ghana, one of several civil society groups that pressured the government to close a LGBTQ+ community center in the capital city of Accra in February 2021, a month after its opening.
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