Ghana’s Parliament Passes Anti-Gay Bill With Jail Terms
Ghana’s Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill that further clamps down on L.G.B.T.Q. rights by imposing jail terms on those who identify as gay or form L.G.B.T.Q.
groups, measures that Amnesty International called among the most stringent legislation on the African continent. The legislation, if signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo, would mean that people convicted of identifying as gay could be sentenced to three years in jail, those deemed “promoters” of L.G.B.T.Q.
issues could get five years, and those who engage in gay sex would receive five years instead of the three years under previous legislation.
The bill is the latest in a wave of anti-gay legislation passed in Africa: Tanzania, Niger and Namibia have tightened such laws in recent years, while Uganda has adopted an anti-gay law that includes the death penalty.
