Lawmakers in Ghana have passed the controversial anti-LGBTQ bill into law after three years since the process started.
Ghanaian lawmakers started debating the bill last year but it was first introduced into parliament in 2021.
“The Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021” was passed unanimously on Wednesday.
The bill seeks to prohibit LGBTQ activities and also clump down on promoters, advocates those who provide funding.
Offenders could be jailed for between 6 months to 3 years. Promoters and sponsors of the act could also face a jail term between 3 to 5 years.
Human rights activists have called on Ghana’s president, Nana Akufo-Addo to reject the bill. It awaits his assent in the coming days.
Last year Uganda signed one of the world’s toughest anti-LGBT laws, making room for the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality.”
The issue of homosexuality is very controversial in most African countries, where there is very little support for such rights.
