Ghana: Political Parties Ramp Up Dangerous Homophobic Electioneering

The two leading political parties in Ghana have been accused of fuelling dangerous anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment in the lead-up to the country’s December 7 national elections.

The issue of LGBTQ+ rights has become a central campaign focus, turning LGBTQ+ lives into convenient targets for cheap political gain.

Rightify Ghana, an LGBTQ+ human rights group, reported a sharp increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“These messages, disseminated through traditional and online platforms—particularly Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter)—are characterised by highly homophobic rhetoric and include dangerous misinformation and disinformation propaganda,” said the group.

Spreading Misinformation and Hate

Rightify Ghana noted that NDC campaign materials, shared in English, Twi, and Hausa, falsely claim that LGBTQ+ people engage in practices such as marrying animals—a baseless and harmful accusation.

The materials also accuse President Nana Akufo-Addo of being pro-LGBTQ+ for not signing an Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill into law and criticise Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for failing to pressure the President to do so.

NDC videos allegedly depict effeminate men at NPP rallies, labelling them as LGBTQ+ without confirming their identities, thereby exposing them to potential violence and discrimination. The NDC also promises voters that its leader, former president John Mahama, will sign the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill if elected.

In response, the NPP launched its own anti-LGBTQ+ ads, featuring a decade-old interview in which Mahama made progressive comments about addressing stigma against men who have sex with men (MSM) as part of HIV education. The NPP uses these comments and footage of Mahama embracing an effeminate man at a rally as supposed evidence of his support for LGBTQ+ rights.

These ads culminate with Vice President Bawumia making homophobic statements, pledging to oppose LGBTQ+ rights if elected President.

Unprecedented Political Homophobia

Rightify Ghana expressed alarm at the unprecedented level of political homophobia, stating: “Ghana has never witnessed such large-scale use of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in political campaigning.”

The group condemned the anti-LGBTQ+ vitriol, warning that it not only undermines human rights but also increases the risk of violence and discrimination against the LGBTIQ+ community, which has already experienced record levels of human rights violations this year.

Rightify Ghana urged political parties to abandon the hateful messaging and focus instead on addressing Ghana’s real issues, including high unemployment, corruption, poor infrastructure, widespread poverty, the rising cost of living, and environmental damage caused by illegal mining.

“Ghana deserves a political discourse centred on solutions, not one that exploits vulnerable communities for political gain,” said Rightify Ghana.

The Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill

While same-sex intimacy was already illegal in Ghana, the country’s parliament on 28 February unanimously passed an Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill, officially named the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill. However, President Akufo-Addo has not yet signed it into law, pending the outcome of two court challenges.

If enacted, the bill will impose prison sentences of up to five years for same-sex intimacy. It will criminalise providing or undergoing gender-affirming surgery or simply identifying as lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, pansexual, non-binary, or as an ally.

Those found guilty of “promoting” or advocating for LGBTQ+ rights could face up to 10 years in prison. Landlords who rent properties to LGBTQ+ individuals could also be jailed for up to six years.