Accra, Ghana (Commonwealth Union)_The amendments to the anti-gay bill which was put forward by a cross-party group of MPs and a prominent anti-gay opposition member, have been backed by the Ghanaian Parliament. While gay sex is already illegal in Ghana, the amendments to the bill will undeniably put the lives of LGBTQ+ persons in harm’s way. The sweeping amendments make identifying as an LGBTQ+ person punishable with a three-year prison sentence, while those who campaign for LGBTQ+ rights get an even harsher sentence of up to ten years in jail. The amendments were passed unanimously with the only dissenting MP being heckled into submission.
The legislation has been condemned by individuals and organizations across the world as it infringes on the rights of persons, which is guaranteed in the Ghanaian constitution. However, those in favor of the legislation state it preserves the country’s values.
The law criminalizes the LGBTQ+ community plus their supporters including identification as an LGBTQ+ person having a relationship or intercourse, marrying or intending to marry any person who has had gender reassignment surgery, ‘gross indecency in public’ which amounts to a public show of affection by any LGBTQ+ persons and cross-dressing. The state will recommend ‘corrective therapy’ or surgery for intersex persons, with a medical practitioner assigning the binary sex. While activists and supporters of LGBTQ+ persons are also criminalized, any person who fails to report any gay acts or LGBTQ+ persons could also be criminalized. Human rights groups are calling the legislation a witch hunt.
The bill seems to simply wipe LGBTQ+ persons off the slate, denying their existence and not wanting to hear or see them in any way. By closing the net in on informants who will face jail time as well as adding jail time for activists, supporters and individuals who don’t fall in line with the repressive legal diktat, the LGBTQ+ community become targets for abuse, violence and even murder.
