Ghana’s Parliament has passed a new bill criminalizing homosexuality and the promotion of LGBTQ+ activities, UNN reports, citing the BBC.
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Identifying as an LGBTQ+ person can be punishable by imprisonment for up to three years. The bill also introduces a “duty to report” prohibited activities to the police.
Religious leaders have pressured President John Dramani Mahama, who has yet to ratify the law, to strengthen laws against homosexuals since he came to power last year.
The ban has been sharply criticized by international organizations, including Human Rights Watch, which stated that it endangers the lives of LGBTQ+ people and “encourages citizens to monitor and expose one another.”
Same-sex relationships have been banned in Ghana under laws dating back to the British colonial era.
In an address to parliament, the bill’s author, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, stated that the bill protects Ghanaian family and cultural values.
Anyone who identifies as an “ally” (a general term for a supporter of LGBTQ+ people) could also face imprisonment.
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