Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill that further restricts L.G.B.T.Q. rights by imposing jail terms on individuals who identify as gay or form L.G.B.T.Q. groups. Amnesty International referred to these measures as some of the strictest legislation on the African continent.
If signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo, the legislation would result in individuals convicted of identifying as gay facing three years in jail, “promoters” of L.G.B.T.Q. issues could receive five years, and those engaging in gay sex would face five years instead of the previous three years under existing legislation.
This bill is part of a trend of anti-gay legislation in Africa, with countries like Tanzania, Niger, and Namibia tightening their laws in recent years. Uganda has even implemented an anti-gay law that includes the death penalty.
According to Amnesty International, thirty-one countries in Africa criminalize consensual same-sex sexual activity. The rights group noted a rise in homophobic attitudes, behaviors, and rhetoric across the continent in recent years.
“There are still so many countries in Africa where being L.G.B.T.Q. is considered evil or un-African,” said Linda Nduri, a Kenya-based campaign manager for Africa at All Out, a nonprofit organization.
Both major political parties in Ghana support the bill. However, its passage was briefly delayed by suggested changes from Alexander Afenyo-Markin, a member of the governing New Patriotic Party, to make it less severe.
Earlier this month, Afenyo-Markin proposed that Parliament should consider offering counseling and community service to individuals convicted under the anti-gay law instead of imprisonment. Nevertheless, some of his colleagues in Parliament insisted on imposing jail terms.
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