Lawmakers from over a dozen African countries pledged to advance new bills restricting LGBT rights. This commitment followed a conference in Ghana that gathered 'pro-family' activists from Africa and Europe.
The African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty took place in Accra from June 3 to June 6. This meeting occurred a week after Ghana's parliament passed a tough anti-LGBT measure. This bill criminalises the promotion of LGBT activities.
This gathering shows a wider shift towards more restrictive laws targeting LGBT people in parts of Africa. Participants said conservative figures in the United States and Europe encourage this trend. This momentum has reportedly grown since Donald Trump returned to the White House. More than half of Africa's 54 countries already criminalise same-sex sexual acts. Countries like Uganda and Senegal have adopted laws criminalising LGBT 'promotion'. Ghana's lawmakers approved similar measures in late May, reflecting this continental trend.
Ghana Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin urged lawmakers to turn conference resolutions into active bills. He said, 'Let them be translated into active bills, robust budgetary allocations, and rigorous oversight.' Lawmakers from 20 countries attended the conference at Ghana's parliament. They concluded by approving an 'African Charter on Family, Sovereignty and Values.' This 32-page document urges governments to withdraw from treaties seen as promoting 'the LGBT agenda.' Signatories of the charter should also work to enact national laws that 'safeguard African culture and cultural values.' Lawmakers from 18 of the 20 represented countries approved this charter.
The push for these laws carries significant public health implications. Health officials have warned that anti-LGBT laws can force LGBT people into hiding. This can impede access to vital health services, including HIV treatment. For example, fewer HIV patients visited treatment centres in Senegal amid arrests following that country's new law. An African photographer living in Accra stated, 'I constantly self-censor, hide, and watch my back. That's not safety, that's survival.' This indicates the heightened fear among LGBT people in Ghana.
Ghana's anti-LGBT bill awaits President John Dramani Mahama's final approval. President Mahama previously indicated he would sign such a measure into law. However, he recently cited procedural issues regarding the bill. A coalition of over 100 African civil society groups has urged President Mahama to reject the bill. They argue that Ghana risks allowing 'external actors with resources and reach to shape its domestic legislation.'
The U.S. State Department has stated that Trump's foreign assistance approach avoids spending taxpayer dollars on 'divisive social and gender issues.' Ugandan former lawmaker Sarah Opendi welcomed this shift at the Accra conference. She stated, 'Let us first thank the American people for voting for President Trump. The conversation in America today is different.' This perspective suggests a perceived opening for further anti-LGBT legislative efforts across Africa.