Accra, Ghana. Lawmakers from more than a dozen African countries pledged to push new bills restricting LGBT rights after a conference in Ghana that brought together self-described “pro-family” activists from across Africa and Europe, participants said. The conference took place a week after Ghana’s parliament passed a bill criminalising LGBT promotion.
Conference and commitments
The African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty was held in Accra from June 3 to June 6. Organisers said lawmakers from 20 countries attended the gathering at Ghana’s parliament, though it was unclear how many intended to introduce new legislation based on the discussions.
In his opening remarks, Ghana Parliament Speaker Alban Bagbin urged participants to turn the conference resolutions into legislation, funding and oversight.
“When you return to your respective capitals, let the resolutions we adopt here not gather dust in the archives of our secretariats. Let them be translated into active bills, robust budgetary allocations, and rigorous oversight,” Bagbin said.
“Go home and tell your people that their representatives have resolved to protect the sanctuaries of their homes, the heritage of their ancestors, and the sovereignty of their nations.”
Broader regional trend
The gathering reflected what participants described as a broader shift toward more restrictive laws targeting LGBT people in parts of Africa. They said the trend was being encouraged by conservative figures in the United States and Europe and had gained new momentum since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Some attendees said they saw an opportunity to advance their agendas under Trump, whose administration, unlike those of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, does not promote LGBT rights as part of its foreign policy.
More than half of Africa’s 54 countries criminalise same-sex sexual acts. Several countries, including Uganda and Senegal, have recently adopted laws that criminalise LGBT “promotion”, a step Ghana’s lawmakers also approved in late May.
Reporting and evidence reviewed
Reuters spoke to five participants and reviewed more than 100 pages of presentations given at the conference. It said it could not determine the role of foreign activists in shaping the agenda, nor find evidence of foreign funding.