Ghana: New President Non-Committal on Signing Anti-LGBTQ Bill

Ghana’s president-elect, John Mahama, has taken a cautious stance on whether he will sign the country’s controversial anti-LGBTQ bill into law.

Mahama, leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress who previously served as president from 2012 to 2017, won 56% of the vote in Saturday’s presidential elections.

In an interview with BBC News Africa, Mahama was asked if he would sign the draconian legislation, officially titled the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which Ghana’s Parliament passed in February.

Mahama asserted that the bill is “not an anti-[LGBTQ bill], it’s a family values bill.” He emphasised that “it was approved unanimously by our parliament,” adding, “You see, it’s against our culture. I mean, African culture. It’s against our religious faith—Muslim and Christian and all that.”

When pressed again on whether he would sign an anti-LGBTQ bill, Mahama, who will take office in January, replied, “It depends what is in the bill.”

Anti-LGBTQ+ Supporters Demand Action

Should Mahama sign the bill, the country will likely face a global firestorm of condemnation and a possible loss of international funding.

MP Sam George, a vocal proponent of the bill, reacted strongly to Mahama’s remarks to the BBC. “Mahama will know no peace until he signs the legislation,” George declared, adding that he would hold Mahama to previous promises to approve it.

He continued: “[Incoming] President Mahama has read the bill! It’s because he’s read the bill that he told the clergy that when he becomes president, he will sign the bill.”

Delays Under Outgoing Leadership

Outgoing President Nana Akufo-Addo had refused to sign the legislation, choosing to wait for the outcome of ongoing court challenges to the bill. This decision angered many parliamentarians and sparked heated debates in the months leading up to the election.

Critics accused the country’s leading political parties of exploiting anti-LGBTQ sentiment to win votes, risking significant harm to LGBTQ communities in Ghana.

What the Bill Entails

If enacted, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill would impose prison sentences of up to five years for same-sex intimacy. It would criminalise gender-affirming surgery, identifying as LGBTQ, or even being an ally.

The bill would also punish those “promoting” or advocating for LGBTQ rights with up to 10 years in prison. Landlords who rent properties to LGBTQ individuals could face up to six years in jail.

Human rights advocates have condemned the bill as one of the most oppressive pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Africa, warning of its far-reaching consequences for LGBTQ individuals and their allies.