Ghana Parliament passes revised anti-LGBTQ bill with exemptions for professionals

Ghana’s Parliament has approved a revised version of the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, reintroducing legislation aimed at criminalising LGBTQ activities while creating exemptions for certain professional groups.

The bill, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ bill, was passed on Friday following its third reading in Parliament. The legislation retains provisions targeting LGBTQ-related activities but includes amendments protecting lawyers, journalists and healthcare professionals carrying out their professional duties.

Under the revised provisions, legal practitioners providing advice or representation to individuals identified as LGBTQ cannot be prosecuted solely for performing their professional responsibilities. Journalists and media organisations reporting on LGBTQ-related matters as part of news coverage are also exempt from sanctions.

Healthcare workers, including doctors, counsellors and psychologists, will similarly be protected when providing medical, mental health or related services to LGBTQ persons.

First Deputy Speaker Bernard Ahiafor announced the bill’s passage after lawmakers completed debate and approved the final version.

Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga said the amendments were introduced to ensure that routine professional services would not be interpreted as promoting or supporting LGBTQ activities.

The changes, however, sparked criticism from opposition lawmakers, who argued that the exemptions dilute the original intent of the legislation.

Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh questioned why the amendments were necessary, arguing that they appeared to acknowledge shortcomings in the previous version of the bill that had been submitted to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Assin South MP John Ntim Fordjour also opposed the revisions, warning that the exemptions could weaken the legislation’s effectiveness.

The original bill was unanimously approved by Parliament in February 2024 and proposed prison sentences ranging from nine months to three years for individuals engaged in LGBTQ-related activities. It also included penalties of up to five years for those found to be promoting, funding or sponsoring such activities.

Despite parliamentary approval, former President Akufo-Addo did not sign the legislation into law before leaving office. He cited ongoing legal challenges against the bill and opted to wait for the courts to determine its constitutionality.

The reintroduced legislation is expected to reignite debate both within Ghana and internationally, where human rights groups, religious organisations and political leaders remain sharply divided over the issue.

The bill’s next stage will depend on the constitutional processes required before it can become law.