Ghana's President John Mahama has stated that a new bill criminalizing LGBTQ+ activities will undergo scrutiny before it is officially approved.
Speaking during a visit to the UK, Mahama said his legal council and attorney general would 'sit on it because it was a private members' motion... [and] not a government bill'.
The bill, passed by parliament on Friday, proposes up to three years imprisonment for identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, and a 'duty to report' prohibited acts to police.
'We will look at it and make sure that everything is in order,' Mahama said, adding that the bill would be referred to the Council of State if there were any problems.
Since coming into power last year, Mahama has faced pressure from religious leaders to strengthen anti-gay measures, which ban same-sex relationships under laws dating from the British colonial era.
Discussing the bill at a Chatham House event in London, Mahama also noted procedural lapses in its passage, which are being addressed by the Speaker of parliament.
This is the second time such legislation has been backed by MPs. A similar bill was first introduced in August 2021 after an LGBTQ+ resources centre was shut down in Accra.
Mahama's predecessor, former President Nana Akufo-Addo, failed to assent to that version before leaving office. When it passed in 2024, it was challenged by multiple lawsuits at the Supreme Court, which Akufo-Addo used as a reason for not approving it.
The bill was reintroduced this year by a cross-party group of MPs. Minority party members said they preferred the 2024 version, claiming amendments have watered it down.
Minority spokesperson John Ntim Forjour explained: 'The bill appears, and not only appears, substantially has lost the force and the bite and the thrust, the deterrence, the efficacy that it contained and carried in 2024.'
The current version exempts punishment for legal, healthcare and media professionals who provide services for gay people or report on LGBTQ+ news. Meanwhile, anyone who identifies as an 'ally' could face prison.
Both versions have been widely criticized by rights groups for infringing on the rights of sexual minorities. Human Rights Watch recommended the bill be abandoned. But advocates argue it will help preserve Ghanaian family values.
Several African countries have cracked down on LGBTQ+ rights in recent years. Senegal's parliament approved similar legislation in March, and Uganda introduced a death penalty for certain same-sex acts in 2023.
Source: www.bbc.com