{"id":1920,"date":"2026-06-02T09:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/02\/people-panicking-as-ghana-passes-sweeping-law-criminalising-lgbtq-activity\/"},"modified":"2026-06-02T09:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T09:30:13","slug":"people-panicking-as-ghana-passes-sweeping-law-criminalising-lgbtq-activity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1920","title":{"rendered":"People \u2018panicking\u2019 as Ghana passes sweeping law criminalising LGBTQ+ activity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"border-color:var(--article-border);background-color:var(--article-inner-background)\" class=\"dcr-wqti5a\">\n<div class=\"dcr-2zxs1v\">\n<div style=\"--grid-area:media\" data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tr9ye5\">\n<figure id=\"a55a02ee-a52f-4ae1-ab44-98f044389e11\" class=\"dcr-142siv7\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People carrying placards reading 'Preserve our traditions, No LGBTQ+!' and Ghanaian flags march in a street alongside cars\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/14d5a2332c838f6d5787e4e6c210d3dd7a02ac7c\/0_0_4653_3113\/master\/4653.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"311.0992907801418\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><span class=\"dcr-v822l1\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-gup2gr\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fntg6k\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-1xgwz8b\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1os51wo\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Anti-LGBTQ activists protest in Accra in 2024. The new law imposes prison terms of up to three years for those identifying as LGBTQ+.<\/span> Photograph: Christian Thompson\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"a55a02ee-a52f-4ae1-ab44-98f044389e11\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-n4pnam\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1hdkqum\"><span class=\"dcr-hvsf4t\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Anti-LGBTQ activists protest in Accra in 2024. The new law imposes prison terms of up to three years for those identifying as LGBTQ+.<\/span> Photograph: Christian Thompson\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:border\" data-gu-name=\"border\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:headline\" data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-14emo0l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1aqe7zu\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-1k1a1x\">People \u2018panicking\u2019 as Ghana passes sweeping law criminalising LGBTQ+ activity<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:standfirst\" data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1fnjjtg\">\n<div class=\"dcr-15in7js\">\n<p>Community groups say some fear they could lose homes, jobs and access to healthcare if the new law is ratified by President John Dramani Mahama<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:body\" data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-kn9unn\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1a4fred\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-ydnaza\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-1c9t5u6\">\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ghana\u2019s LGBTQ community is living in fear after the country\u2019s parliament approved a sweeping bill that criminalises the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities and identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, rights groups have warned.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The legislation, which was passed on Friday, mandates prison sentences of three to 10 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.parliament.gh\/docs?type=Bills&amp;OT&amp;filter=Human\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">human sexual rights and family values bill<\/a> is expected to be signed into law by the Ghanaian president, John Dramani Mahama.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Community organisations say LGBTQ+ people are worried they could lose their homes, jobs or access to healthcare, with most already reviewing and deleting their online posts for fear of their identity being revealed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Leila Lariba, director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.olsghana.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">One Love Sisters Ghana<\/a>, an organisation that supports lesbian and bisexual women, said: \u201cPeople are panicking and scared. The new bill affects where you are staying; it can get you evicted; it can lead you to lose your job.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cNo matter how safe you think you are,\u201d she said, \u201cyou do not know who\u2019s ready to talk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe have advised people to prioritise their safety online and offline. If they have content on their social media pages that could put them at risk, we are encouraging them to remove it. People need to be cautious about what they post because they don\u2019t know how this law could be used against them,\u201d Lariba added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Same-sex relations were already banned under British colonial law in Ghana but the prohibition was rarely enforced. The new legislation expands criminal liability and is designed to affect both LGBTQ+ people and their allies, such as anyone who provides services, support or advocacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The new bill imposes prison terms of up to three years for identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, and up to 10 years for those found guilty of \u201cpromotion of, propagation of, advocacy for, support or funding of\u201d LGBTQ-related activities, as well as provisions requiring people to report suspected LGBTQ+ individuals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Amendments approved by MPs exempt healthcare professionals and lawyers from prosecution for providing services to LGBTQ+ individuals but activists have pointed out that the stigma created by the legislation was likely to deter people from seeking help, including around HIV testing or discrimination.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"15e5c4c9-f1bc-409a-8627-43df6656152c\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t8m8f2\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Two seated women hold hands\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/d22deccd880b10212cfef6dc42a0bff3efd69854\/0_0_5500_3667\/master\/5500.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"296.69363636363636\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-evn1e9\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-13fd1ms\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"15e5c4c9-f1bc-409a-8627-43df6656152c\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-4tmywn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-194i6pr\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The the new legislation is designed to affect both LGBTQ+ people and their allies.<\/span> Photograph: Francis Kokoroko\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe believe the president will sign it,\u201d said Lariba. \u201cPeople out there are going to use this as a stepping stone to maltreat people and harass people. It\u2019s already happening, but with this bill being passed, it\u2019s going to be higher than it was before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2021\/jul\/23\/ghana-anti-gay-bill-proposing-10-year-prison-sentences-sparks-outrage\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Ghana\u2019s parliament approved similar legislation<\/a> in 2024, but the former president Nana Akufo-Addo left office without signing it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In an address to parliament, the current bill\u2019s sponsor, the Rev John Ntim Fordjour claimed the proposed law would protect Ghanaian family and cultural values.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">However, Ebenezer Peegah, director of <a href=\"https:\/\/rightifyghana.org\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Rightify Ghana<\/a>, an LGBTQ+ rights organisation, said fundamental freedoms were at risk, with the impact extending far beyond same-sex relationships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis bill is very far-reaching: it criminalises identity; it criminalises services, including the operations of civil society groups and doctors giving care to the LGBTQ community and those that promote same-sex [relations], like journalists [and] sellers of sex toys. It also criminalises even not reporting people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cJust this year alone, we have had 80 cases from our members that include those who have been exposed, abused or evicted. Our colleagues are asking how to get out of Ghana, but we also do not know how to help them because the international community no longer cares, especially the Trump government,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The bill comes as Ghana this week hosts the fourth <a href=\"https:\/\/4thfamilyvalues.parliament.gh\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">African inter-parliamentary conference on family values and sovereignty<\/a> in Accra from 3-6 June. It is the first time the conference will be held in Ghana, after three years in which it was hosted by Uganda. The notoriously harsh anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Uganda, which includes the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2023\/may\/29\/ugandan-president-yoweri-museveni-anti-lgbtq-bill-death-penalty\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">death penalty for \u201caggravated homosexuality\u201d<\/a>, was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni shortly after the inaugural conference in 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ipas.org\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Ipas<\/a>, an international reproductive rights organisation, said the conferences had become platforms to influencepolicies related to sexual and reproductive health rights across Africa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The organisation also pointed to growing collaboration and influence between parliamentarians from different African countries, especially Uganda and Ghana, including efforts to strengthen coordination on \u201cfamily values\u201d legislation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"1671f104-c935-4857-8760-88b76a8a887d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\">\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-20 | 20\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-name=\"placeholder\" class=\"dcr-1kyw41h\">\n<div data-format-theme=\"5\" data-format-design=\"0\" data-format-display=\"0\" class=\"dcr-ak3j0c\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2025\/oct\/10\/torture-blackmail-extortion-the-dangers-of-queer-online-dating-in-ghana\" class=\"dcr-1m887w9\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-ut4tvs\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1h5b6rb\">\n<div class=\"dcr-169d7yv\">Torture, blackmail, extortion: the dangers of queer online dating in Ghana<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-eurq8n\">\n<div class=\"dcr-fkf7vq\">Read more<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Peegah said the Ghanaian bill was passed as \u201ca gift\u201d to the conference, which will propose an <a href=\"https:\/\/share.google\/yiRhEZ6p49mKUw1GH\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">African charter on family, sovereignty and values<\/a>, a treaty that rejects \u201charmful gender ideologies\u201d as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2023\/jul\/07\/intel-executive-actively-responsible-for-driving-anti-lgbtq-agenda-in-africa-say-campaigners\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">foreign imports that threaten African morality<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cWe know that this is not an attack only on LGBT communities in Ghana,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is an attack on the entire LGBT community in Africa. That\u2019s why we believe it will quickly be signed, just like the Ugandan president did when they hosted this same conference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been on the rise across west Africa. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/apr\/07\/senegal-harsh-anti-gay-law-hiv-progress\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Senegal introduced a law<\/a> in March that doubled the maximum prison term to 10 years for sexual acts by same-sex couples and criminalised the \u201cpromotion\u201d of homosexuality. Last year <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2025\/sep\/06\/anti-gay-law-african-jail-term-five-years-promoting-homosexuality-burkina-faso\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Burkina Faso, a country previously seen as relatively safe<\/a> for the gay community, passed a law criminalising homosexuality.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A coalition of organisations led by Rightify is preparing to challenge the Ghanaian decision in court, based on the undue speed at which the bill passed through its second and third readings, and because the quorum of MPs had not been met when the vote was held.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The proposed law has also been criticised by international rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, which said it put people\u2019s lives at risk while also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c5yedendprko\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u201cencouraging citizens to surveil and denounce one another\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-qxqnsy\"><span class=\"dcr-1rq3vad\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-1dzx48f\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-1rrvs2w\">\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-development\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Global development<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/lgbt-rights\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">LGBTQ+ rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/ghana\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Ghana<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/world\/africa\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Africa<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/human-rights\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">Human rights<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-hj8byr\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-1gwziyt\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-nu129i\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=People%20%E2%80%98panicking%E2%80%99%20as%20Ghana%20passes%20sweeping%20law%20criminalising%20LGBTQ+%20activity&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jun\/01\/ghana-new-law-criminalising-lgbtq-activity?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-125qj9d\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-zhx6xs\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fjun%2F01%2Fghana-new-law-criminalising-lgbtq-activity&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/jun\/01\/ghana-new-law-criminalising-lgbtq-activity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-14rjinq\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"--grid-area:right-column\" data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1h2hraq\">\n<div class=\"dcr-tn16h9\">\n<section class=\"dcr-1hko8ef\"><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anti-LGBTQ activists protest in Accra in 2024. The new law imposes prison terms of up to three years for those identifying as LGBTQ+. Photograph: Christian Thompson\/EPA View image in fullscreen &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=1920\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1920\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}