Ghana’s Parliament has passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely known as the anti-gay bill, following renewed debate and amendments to the proposed legislation.
The bill seeks to criminalise LGBTQ-related activities, advocacy and promotion in the country, but the revised version introduces exemptions for some professionals and institutions.
Under the amendments, lawyers offering legal representation to LGBTQ persons, journalists and media organisations reporting on LGBTQ-related issues, as well as medical and mental health professionals providing healthcare or counselling services, will not face sanctions under the law. Despite the changes, the Minority Caucus opposed the amendments, arguing they suggested the original version of the bill previously submitted to former President Nana Akufo-Addo was flawed. Parliament, however, approved the revised bill on Friday.
The legislation was first introduced in 2021 by a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by Ningo-Prampram MP Sam George. Supporters, including several religious groups, traditional leaders and conservative organisations, argued the bill was necessary to protect what they described as Ghanaian family, cultural and religious values. Critics, however, said the proposed law threatened constitutional freedoms and human rights, while several international organisations and foreign governments also raised concerns over its potential impact on Ghana’s democratic image and international relations.
Parliament initially passed the bill in February 2024, but legal challenges at the Supreme Court delayed presidential assent.
Petitioners questioned both the constitutionality of parts of the legislation and the process used in passing it. Following fresh deliberations and amendments in 2025, Parliament has now passed the bill again, with the next stage depending on presidential assent and any further legal challenges that may arise.