Forget about LGBTQ relations in this country, there can be a punishment of 5 years, bill passed

Ghana’s parliament has voted to pass a controversial bill to severely restrict LGBTQ rights. The move was condemned by human rights activists. The bill still has to be validated by the President before entering into law, which observers believe is unlikely before the general elections in December. Activist groups have described the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values ​​Bill as a blow to human rights and urged the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo to reject it.

But the bill has widespread support in Ghana, where Akufo-Addo has said gay marriage will never be allowed while he is in power. Commonly known as the Anti-Gay Bill, the legislation received sponsorship from a coalition of Christian, Muslim and traditional leaders of Ghana, garnering substantial support among members of parliament. Gay sex is already illegal in the religious West African nation, but discrimination against LGBTQ people is common, but no one has been prosecuted under the colonial-era law. Under the provisions of the bill, those who participate in LGBTQ sexual acts could be sentenced to six months to three years in prison.

LGBTQ rights advocates may face harsher penalties, including three to five years in prison. A human rights coalition in Ghana, known as the Big 18, a group of lawyers and activists has condemned the bill. “You can’t criminalize a person’s identity and that’s what the bill is doing and that’s just wrong,” Coalition member Takiva Manuah said.