I Feel Like Relocating To An LGBT+-friendly Nation’ – Ghanaian Gay Cries Out After Passage Of Bill

Following the passage of the Anti-LGBT+ bill by Ghana’s parliament on February 28, 2024, members of the same-sex community in the country are voicing concerns for their safety and well-being.

A number of them say they feel unsafe in their own country, with some expressing fears that their lives are now at stake.

Speaking to the BBC, one individual shared his anxiety, saying, “I am so scared, very scared, and I don’t know my fate. My life is at stake. It will be my end in Accra.”

Another person highlighted the Bill’s impact on his employment and personal life.

“My life was a bit better before this whole Bill started; I lost my job because I was gay. In my previous workplace, my madam had to sack me.

“She spoke to me and said I should change from my ways, and I was like no, and she kept on coming back with the Bible…she said she also can’t accept a gay person as a worker,” he asserted.

One individual expressed a desire to leave the country for his safety.

“I feel like relocating from the country itself to any LGBTQI-friendly country which is safe for me to live in,” he stated.

“For me personally, I have been attacked so many times by my family after they got to know about my sexuality. I had to leave home for a while,” another added.

The Bill, currently awaiting presidential assent, proscribes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding.

Persons caught in these acts would be subjected to a six-month to three-year jail term, with promoters and sponsors facing a three to five-year jail term.

The Bill would now require presidential assent to come into force.