Anti-LGBTQ+ bill “effectively is dead” says Ghana’s president

Advocacy groups in Ghana have celebrated the downfall of a bill aimed at further criminalising LGBTQ+ individuals and banning support for them.

On January 14, President John Mahama announced that the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, co-sponsored by MP Sam George of Ningo-Prampram in 2021, was effectively lifeless, according to ‘Washington Blade’. He made these statements to a group of bishops from the Ghana Catholic Bishop’s Conference.

“If we are teaching our values in schools, we wouldn’t need to pass a bill to enforce family values,” Mahama stated. “More than just passing the Family Values Bill, we need to agree on a curriculum that instills these values in our children as they grow.”

The president further mentioned that although MPs approved the bill last February, the parliament dissolved before former President Nana Akufo-Ado, who completed his term earlier this month, could sign it.

“I don’t know what the promoters of the bill intend to do, but I think we should have a conversation about it again,” Mahama remarked. “As far as I know, the bill did not get to the president. So, the convention is that all bills that are not assented to law before the expiration of the life of parliament, expire. So that bill effectively is dead.”

Berinyuy Burinyuy, Communications Director of LGBTQ+ Rights Ghana, expressed that the president’s comments offer hope to LGBTQ+ Ghanaians who have long endured systemic discrimination, fear, and violence.

“For many, the mere suggestion that LGBT+ issues could be addressed through education rather than criminalization represents a significant departure from the traditional legislative path championed by the bill’s proponents,” Burinyuy noted. “This shift implies a possible opening for dialogue and a more inclusive approach, one that recognizes the need for respect and understanding of diverse sexual identities within Ghanaian society.”

Nonetheless, Burinyuy questioned how family values would be integrated into the educational curriculum.

“Will the curriculum provide a comprehensive, nuanced understanding of human sexuality that respects diversity, or will it risk reinforcing discriminatory attitudes under the guise of cultural preservation?” Burinyuy asked. “The fear, particularly among LGBT+ activists, is that the emphasis on education could inadvertently foster homophobia in Ghanaian children. If the content is not carefully structured, it could perpetuate harmful stereotypes and deepen existing prejudices.”

“While Mahama may not yet be fully committing to a clear policy direction, his statement leaves open the possibility of a more balanced approach, one that allows for a national conversation on sexual rights without rushing into divisive legislation,” Burinyuy added.

We Are All Ghana described Mahama’s comments as a positive step in addressing anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and negative stereotypes.

“We need a holistic educational curriculum for our schools,” stated We Are All Ghana. “The children at least deserve to know the truth. There is nothing worse than half-baked information.”

Yaw Mensah, an LGBTQ+ activist, said Mahama is teaching Ghanaians to be tolerant of everyone, regardless of sexual orientation.

“Mahama is indirectly saying LGBT persons are not Ghana’s problems. Let’s teach families values that accept and respect everyone. Ghanaian values should be tolerance, respect, honesty, hardworking, hospitality, and integrity,” Mensah emphasized. “Those need to be taught and not the hate, discrimination, barbarism, greediness, and hypocrisy that we are seeing in many leaders which transcends into the young ones.”

George has not yet responded to Mensah’s remarks regarding his bill.