Ghana's Parliament-Approved Law Criminalizing LGBT Identity Awaits Presidential Signature

On May 29, 2026, Ghana’s parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. The legislation provides for up to three years in prison for individuals who identify as LGBTQI+, and three to five years for anyone deemed by authorities to promote or support LGBTQI+ people. The bill now awaits the signature of President John Dramani Mahama.

In an interview with Inter Press Service , Leila Lariba, executive director of One Love Sisters Ghana — an organization supporting LGBTQI+ Muslims in the country — stated that since the bill’s passage, the organization has recorded a rise in reports of blackmail, evictions, family rejection, mental health crises, online harassment, and workplace discrimination. She noted that some people have stopped seeking medical, legal, and psychosocial assistance out of fear of persecution.

A similar bill was passed by Ghana’s parliament in 2024, but then-President Nana Akufo-Addo declined to sign it. The adoption of the new law places Ghana alongside several other West African states — Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal — that have also recently enacted legislation restricting the rights of LGBTQI+ people.