Are Ghana's MPs Developing a Conscience by Delaying Anti-Homosexuality Bill

By Melanie Nathan, May 23, 2026

Community Service Proposal as Part of Penalties Delayed Consideration of Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill — Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga Says Some MPs Raised Concerns About Harsh Punishments

In my assessment of the following - I want readers to be aware that criminalization of LGBTQI+ people, regardless of the punishment, in and of itself, causes stigma, fear of the "other" as in homophobia - and to such an extent that LGBTQI+ people in such environments are subject to extreme societal violence. So to be deliberating over harshness of punitive measures changes absolutely nothing for the ultimate harms experienced by LGBTQI people in Ghana. In fact in some ways the delays in a vote and in implementing and enforcing the legislation that has an over 90% popularity rating - causes backlash. There is no conscience - there cannot be until criminalization is eradicated. However in reading the following - one can draw many conclusions about the real reasons for the delays. Here are the notes: Majority Leader Mahama Ayariga has revealed that concerns raised by some Members of Parliament over the severity of punishments proposed under Ghana’s Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025, popularly known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, contributed to delays in the consideration of the legislation.

Speaking during the Leadership Media Brief on Friday, May 22, 2026, Ayariga explained that some lawmakers proposed the inclusion of community service as an alternative form of punishment for certain categories of offenses under the bill instead of custodial sentences. Imagine given the stigma where people are violated by society - families, neighbors, communities, etc... for being LGBTQI+ and where the legislaiton seeks to criminalize mere identity - noting it says: 'People who HOLD OUT to be LGBTTQAP are guilty of an offense and get prison time and fines'..... doing roadside work - community service etc....fully outed - to the public ripe for abuse...

According to Ayariga, discussions around prison overcrowding and the long-term effects of imprisonment for relatively minor offences influenced ongoing deliberations on the legislation. “There are some MPs that think that some of the penalties should include something like community service for some of the categories of offences,” Ayariga stated.

He argued that Ghana’s prisons were already congested and questioned the effectiveness of lengthy prison sentences for offences that may not necessarily require incarceration.

 “Beyond that, we have a bigger problem of congested prisons. Sometimes, for offences that really should not send somebody to prison for two years, three years, five years,” he said. Using an example to illustrate his point, Ayariga noted that imprisoning people for minor offences could sometimes worsen criminal behaviour instead of reforming offenders. “Somebody steals a fowl, and then you go to prison for five years, and we spend more money feeding you than the cost of the fowl. We spend more money paying prison officers to watch over you than the cost of the fowl,” he said.

“By the time you come out, a young boy goes to steal a fowl, and we send him to prison for a year or two, and by the time he comes out he is a well prepared criminal because of some of the conditions.”

Ayariga disclosed that the Minister for the Interior intends to introduce a Community Service Bill to provide alternative sentencing measures for selected offences, including provisions that could later be incorporated into the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill.

 “The Minister for Interior wants to bring the Community Service Bill, so that for some category of offenses, we can rather impose community service as part of the penalties instead of imprisonment,” he explained.

According to the Majority Leader, efforts to align the proposed Community Service Bill with amendments to the anti-LGBTQ+ bill were among the reasons consideration of the legislation had been delayed.

“That is what actually delayed the consideration of the bill because we want to incorporate that in there,” he said.

“So, we are prioritising the Community Service Bill so that immediately it is passed then there is a basis for some amendments in the Family Values Bill to include community service as part of the penalties.”

The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill remains one of Ghana’s most controversial legislative proposals, attracting support from religious and conservative groups while facing criticism from human rights organisations, public health advocates, and civil society groups over concerns that it could undermine fundamental rights and freedoms. HERE IS THE RELEVANT VIDEO: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1767619267734489