By Ashiadey Dotse
Parliament has passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, after making several amendments to the proposed law.
The bill seeks to criminalise LGBTQ activities, advocacy and promotion in Ghana. However, the revised version includes exemptions for some professionals and institutions.
Under the new amendments, lawyers who provide legal services or representation to persons identified as LGBTQ will not face punishment under the law.
Journalists and media organisations reporting on LGBTQ-related issues as part of their professional duties have also been exempted from sanctions. In addition, doctors, counsellors and mental health professionals offering medical or psychological care to LGBTQ persons will not be penalised.
Despite these changes, the Minority Caucus strongly opposed the amendments during parliamentary debate.
According to the Minority, the exemptions suggest that the original version of the bill previously submitted to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had flaws and was not properly drafted.
However, Parliament went ahead to pass the amended bill on Friday, May 29, 2026.
The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill has remained one of Ghana’s most controversial pieces of legislation in recent years.
The bill was first introduced in Parliament in 2021 by a group of lawmakers led by Ningo-Prampram MP Sam George and received support from several religious groups, traditional leaders and conservative organisations.
Supporters of the legislation argue that it is necessary to protect Ghanaian cultural, religious and family values. They also insist that the country should resist international pressure to recognise LGBTQ rights.
Critics of the bill, including human rights groups, civil society organisations and some international bodies, have argued that the legislation could violate constitutional freedoms and damage Ghana’s international reputation.
The original version proposed strict penalties for same-sex relations, LGBTQ advocacy, public displays of same-sex affection and the funding or promotion of LGBTQ activities.
Parliament first passed the bill in February 2024, but it was delayed after legal challenges were filed at the Supreme Court over its constitutionality and the procedure used in passing it.
Following fresh debates and amendments, Parliament has now approved the revised version of the bill once again.
The next step will depend on presidential assent and any further legal challenges that may arise.
