Ghana president John Dramani Mahama has pledged to sign into law the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill” if it is passed by his country’s parliament. This draconian anti-LGBTQ+ bill punishes queer people for merely existing. The bill calls for a three-year imprisonment for those who identify as LGBTQ+, and a ten-year sentence for “promoting” (i.e. advocating) homosexuality or gender transition. Even attending a same-sex wedding would be punishable by a prison sentence.
And in other horrific news, Kazakhstan recently passed a bill banning promotion of “non-traditional sexual orientation” in public spaces as well as across media outlets. This legislation is very similar to Russia’s recent wartime anti-LGBTQ+ policies, which target queer “propaganda”. Several other countries including Hungary and Bulgaria, both European Union members, have passed their own versions of anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda laws, which, according to critics, are inspired by the Kremlin. Countries around the globe continue to move in drastically different directions where sexual rights and freedoms are concerned. Now is the time to pay attention my dear sexual subjects!
