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Ghana lawmakers reintroduce anti-LGBTQ+ bill imposing harsh restrictions

Lawmakers in Ghana reintroduced the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, a controversial and incredibly restrictive piece of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, to Parliament on Tuesday.

Presently, in Ghana, gay sex is punishable by up to three years in prison. The bill is seeking to impose harsher penalties for engaging in consensual same-sex conduct by increasing the maximum penalty up to five years. Additionally, criminalizing the “funding or sponsorship for prohibited activities” and “advocacy, support” and promotion for LGBTQ+ rights or organizations, the bill imposes a term of imprisonment between five to ten years.

Introduced in 2021 as the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanian Family Values Bill, Ghana’s parliament passed the bill on February 28, 2024. However, former President Nana Akufo-Addo declined to sign the bill into law prior to the end of his term. The former president cited legal challenges as having prompted this delay, noting his intention to wait for the Supreme Court’s decision. Cases challenging the bill were eventually dismissed in December as the presidential assent was required to review them. Nana Akufo-Addo’s term ended in January 2025, resulting in the bill expiring without enactment.

President John Mahama expressed support for the bill during the Fellowship with the Clergy event on February 28, 2025, declaring, “I, as a Christian, uphold the principle and the values that only two genders exist, man and woman, that a marriage is between a man and a woman.” Referring to a conversation with the speaker of Parliament, Mahama asserted, “The renewal of the expired Proper Family Values Bill should be a bill that is introduced by government rather than as a private members motion, and it’s my hope that that consultation would see a renewed Proper Family Values Bill.”

In an interview with Citi News on February 27, 2025, Reverend John Ntim Fordjour, opposition party MP, confirmed the bill had been resubmitted, calling upon President John Mahama to provide presidential assent for its passing. Ten lawmakers sponsored its reintroduction, including MPs Samuel Nartey George and Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah from the National Democratic Congress, Ghana’s ruling party.

NGOs and advocacy groups such as LGBT+ Rights Ghana have expressed their concern for the impact on the LGBTQ+ community, admonishing the bill’s reintroduction as being “pushed by homophobic politicians and religious groups as means to promote oppression against Queer people in Ghana.” After its passing last year, Human Rights Watch researcher Larissa Kojoué stated, “The anti-LGBT rights bill is inconsistent with Ghana’s longstanding tradition of peace, tolerance, and hospitality and flies in the face of the country’s international human rights obligations.” She further noted, “Such a law would not only further erode the rule of law in Ghana, but could also lead to further gratuitous violence against LGBT people and their allies.”

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USA: Iowa governor signs bill striking gender identity from state civil rights law

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USA: Iowa governor signs bill striking gender identity from state civil rights law

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on Friday signed into law a bill that removes gender identity as a protected class under Iowa civil rights law.

Reynolds emphasized that the state’s “Civil Rights Code blurred the biological lines between the sexes” in an unacceptable manner and that the new law will strengthen the state’s efforts to protect women and girls.

The governor stated:

[A]cknowledg[ing] the obvious biological differences between men and women … is necessary to secure genuine equal protection for women and girls. It is why we have men and women’s bathrooms, but not men and women’s conference rooms; girls’ and boys’ sports, but not girls’ math and boys’ math; separate men and women’s prisons, but not different laws for men and women. It is about the biological differences, and that is all.

The classes commonly protected under Iowa civil rights law are “race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, or disability.” Iowa law prohibits discrimination against protected classes in schooling, housing, real estate, loaning, and employment practices.

The new law, however, changes the statutory construction of terms relating to sex and gender, stating that an individual’s sex is to be construed as being “either [biologically] male or female as observed or clinically verified at birth.” Gender is to be construed as synonymous to sex and not as a shorthand for “gender identity, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender role.” Additionally, “woman” and “girl” are to be construed as referring to a female, and “man” and “boy” are to be construed as referring to a male.

The law further provides that exceptions to sex discrimination are allowed “in prisons or other detention facilities, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, locker rooms, restrooms, and in other contexts where health, safety, or privacy are implicated resulting in separate accommodations” because they “are substantially related to … important government objectives.”

The law also prohibits teaching “gender theory” in public and charter schools. It defines gender theory to include:

The concept that an individual who experiences distress or discomfort with the individual’s sex should identify as and live consistent with the individual’s internal sense of gender, and that an individual can delay natural puberty and develop sex characteristics of the opposite sex through the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures.

Prior to its passage, ACLU of Iowa Executive Director Mark Stringer called the bill “barbaric.” He elaborated that gender identity has been protected under Iowa civil rights law for almost two decades. He stated:

If Gov. Kim Reynolds signs this bill, Iowa will become the first state in the country to repeal protections for LGBTQ people from its state civil rights law. Iowa has been a trailblazer in advancing civil and basic human rights—from banning slavery all the way to ensuring marriage equality. In many instances, our laws have helped advance the causes of freedom and equality in our nation. It is shocking to think that Iowa may now become another first—the first to specifically single out transgender people for removal of their legal rights as enshrined in state antidiscrimination law.

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USA: Trump signs executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from women’s sports

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USA: Trump signs executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from women’s sports

President Trump signed an executive order Wednesday aimed at keeping transgender women out of women’s sports by rescinding all funds from educational programs that allow transgender women to compete in women’s categories or to use women’s changing rooms.

Trump stated that the goal of this executive order is to “protect opportunities for women and girls to compete in safe and fair sports,” citing Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and several Federal court cases including, Kansas v. U.S. Dept. of Education and Tennessee v. Cardona. Title IX states that, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” This provision has brought the definition of “sex” to the forefront, as debated in both federal court cases in Kansas and Tennessee. Trump used these cases to highlight his interpretation of “Congress’ goal of protecting biological women in education.”

Some athletes celebrated the executive order, including Riley Gaines, Kaitlynn Wheeler, and Danica Patrick. Kaitlynn Wheeler stated, “this is a victory for every girl who has fought for fairness, every woman who refused to be silenced and every future athlete who deserves a level playing field.”

Trans athletes claim that the order will have detrimental effect on the trans community, including Karleigh Webb, who said, “this is part of a whole program to essentially erase transgender Americans from American life.” There are concerns that the policy will have the effect of excluding transgender women from participating in sports, with opponents claiming the policy is discriminatory.

Charlie Baker, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (the “NCAA”) President, released a statement addressing the executive order:

The NCAA Board of Governors is reviewing the executive order and will take necessary steps to align NCAA policy in the coming days, subject to further guidance from the administration. The Association will continue to help foster welcoming environments on campuses for all student-athletes.

With the Olympics headed to Los Angeles in 2028, there is debate over whether trans athletes will be able to compete. The International Olympic Committee has allowed transgender athletes to participate at the Olympics since 2004, but the first trans athletes to compete were in 2021. Trump has made it clear he intends to challenge the Olympic Committee on this policy moving forward.

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Tunisia intensifies crackdown on LGBTI individuals: Amnesty International

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Tunisia intensifies crackdown on LGBTI individuals: Amnesty International

Amnesty International denounced Tunisian authorities’ increased arrests of LGBTI individuals on Thursday. The organization reported that at least 84 individuals, mostly gay men and transgender women, have been arrested since September 2024.

The wave of arrests began after a homophobic and transphobic online campaign gained traction. Many individuals involved in the campaign were supporters of Tunisian President Kais Said. President Said has historically supported the criminalization of homosexuality.

The majority of arrests were based on Article 230 of Tunisia’s Penal Code, which criminalizes “sodomy and lesbianism.” Additionally, Article 226 of the Penal Code prohibits acts that are “against good morals or public morality.” Tunisian authorities have deemed displays of non-conforming gender identity to fall under these provisions.

Arrestees have been subjected to mistreatment while in custody. Men accused of participating in same-sex relations must undergo anal examinations to test for evidence of penetration. Amnesty International considers these forced examinations to be a form of torture. According to the UN Convention Against Torture, “torture” means any official act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person to obtain information from him or for a reason based on discrimination.

Amnesty International reported that LGBTI activists have also been subject to arrest in Tunisia. Mira Ben Salah, who is a part of the LGBTI activist group Damj Association for Justice and Equality, stated that she has been repeatedly harassed by authorities due to her work. Ben Salah has filed complaints with the Public Prosecutor at the country’s Court of First Instance but told Amnesty International that the investigation has not progressed.

Amnesty International has consistently monitored the human rights situation in Tunisia. The organization’s Secretary General reported an alarming rollback of human rights protections after a visit to Tunisia in July 2024. Amnesty International now calls for Tunisian authorities to immediately release arrested LGBTI individuals.

Even though there are no international conventions with a view to eliminating discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender, the UN considers Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the source of state obligations to respect the human rights of LGBTI persons.

Relatedly in January 2024, Human Rights Watch called on Meta to protect LGBTQ+ people by preventing Middle Eastern countries’ security forces, including Tunisia, from using their data to prosecute sexual minorities.

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ECtHR : Judgment Bazhenov and Others v. Russia (nos. 8825/22 and 19130/22) (failure of the national authorities to respond adequately to homophobia-driven incidents)

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ECtHR : Judgment Bazhenov and Others v. Russia (nos. 8825/22 and 19130/22) (failure of the national authorities to respond adequately to homophobia-driven incidents)

The applicants, Yevgeniy Bazhenov, Aleksandr Semkin and Artem Lapov, are three Russian nationals who were born in 1985, 1984 and 1988 respectively. They are homosexuals and are in same-sex marriages registered outside Russia. The first two applicants are a couple and live in Moscow. The third applicant and his husband left Russia in 2022, and are currently residing in a European country as refugees.
The case concerns disclosure of the applicants’ personal data, including information about their sexual orientation, on social networks, and the alleged failure of the national authorities to respond adequately to those homophobia-driven incidents.
Relying on Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) taken alone and in conjunction with Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the Convention, the applicants complain that the national authorities failed to do their duty to ensure effective respect for their private lives and protect them from discrimination. They also complain under Article 13 that they had no effective domestic remedy at their disposal for their Convention complaints.

Violation of Article 14 taken in conjunction with Article 8
Just satisfaction: non-pecuniary damage: EUR 7,000

More: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-241571

USA: Trump administration rescinds sweeping federal funding freeze after court challenge (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing)

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USA: Trump administration rescinds sweeping federal funding freeze after court challenge (Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing)

The Administration of US President Donald Trump on Wednesday rescinded a directive to freeze funding across federal agencies just one day after announcing the sweeping measure, which had left agencies and beneficiaries scrambling to determine its impact.

Tuesday’s directive mandated a temporary pause on all federal financial assistance disbursements and obligations, including grants and loans, while agencies reviewed their programs for alignment with new Trump administration priorities. During this pause, agencies were required to halt new funding programs, stop disbursements under existing programs, and pause activities related to open funding opportunities, though certain legally mandated actions could continue with OMB approval.

The order was issued by way of a memo from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), an executive-branch office responsible for managing the presidential budget and oversight of agency spending. In the memo, OMB Acting Director Matthew Vaeth criticized federal spending under the previous Democratic administration of Joe Biden as the “use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies” and as a “waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve.”

But the directive lacked specificity that would help agencies and beneficiaries understand which programs might be eligible for exceptions, fueling anxiety about the breadth and scope of the order, including fears that programs critical for providing food and resources to the nation’s most vulnerable populations would suffer as a consequence of the order.

The order was supposed to take effect on Tuesday evening, Eastern US time, but a federal district judge granted an administrative stay, pausing the freeze for several days. The stay was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by the National Council of Nonprofits, which said in a statement: “This reckless action by the administration would be catastrophic for nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve. … From pausing research on cures for childhood cancer to halting housing and food assistance, shuttering domestic violence and homeless shelters, and closing suicide hotlines, the impact of even a short pause in funding could be devastating and cost lives. This order must be halted immediately before such avoidable harm is done.” The judge said the administrative stay would block the OMB from enforcing the directive pending arguments to take place next week.

Confusion continued to mount in the meantime, with questions about the freeze dominating a White House press briefing on Wednesday. During the briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said repeatedly that the order would not affect direct beneficiaries of federal programs, but was less clear on indirect individual beneficiaries, such as seniors benefiting from federally funded nutrition programs organized by third-parties. She maintained more information was coming.

Shortly thereafter, reports emerged that the OMB had released a brief memo rescinding its directive from Tuesday. Leavitt took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that the OMB memo had been rescinded because of the court order. She added the caveat, however, that Trump’s various executive orders on federal funding “remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.” The executive orders named in the OMB memo included the following:

Protecting the American People Against Invasion (Jan. 20, 2025), which revoked several Biden-era immigration policies while directing federal agencies to prioritize deportations, establish nationwide Homeland Security Task Forces, expand detention facilities, encourage state-local immigration enforcement partnerships, and review funding to NGOs that assist undocumented immigrants;
Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid (Jan. 20, 2025), which imposed a 90-day pause on US foreign development assistance disbursements while agencies review all foreign aid programs for alignment with the Trump administration’s foreign policy objectives, with the Secretary of State empowered to grant waivers and approve resumption of funding for programs that pass review;
Putting America First in International Environmental Agreements (Jan. 20, 2025), which directed the US’ immediate withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on climate change and all related UN climate accords, revokes the US International Climate Finance Plan, and requires federal agencies to prioritize economic efficiency and American prosperity over climate commitments in international energy agreements;
Unleashing American Energy (Jan. 20, 2025), which mandated a comprehensive review and rollback of climate-related policies, including revoking multiple Biden-era executive orders, pausing Inflation Reduction Act funding disbursements, disbanding the interagency working group on carbon costs, expediting energy permits, restarting LNG export reviews, and directing agencies to prioritize domestic energy production and mineral development while removing restrictions on consumer choice in vehicles and appliances;
Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing (Jan. 20, 2025), which mandated the termination of all federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Environmental Justice programs and positions, required agencies to document all such programs and contractors since January 2021, and established monthly meetings to monitor the elimination of these initiatives across the federal government;
Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government (Jan. 20, 2025), which defined sex as binary and biological, mandated federal agencies to use only these definitions, required identification documents to reflect biological sex rather than gender identity, prohibited federal funding related to “gender ideology,” directed changes to prison housing policies based on biological sex, and rescinded multiple Biden-era policies and guidance documents related to gender identity protections; and
Enforcing the Hyde Amendment (Jan. 24, 2025). which revoked two Biden-era orders related to abortion access and directed the OMB to issue guidance ensuring federal funding complies with the Hyde Amendment’s restrictions on using federal funds for elective abortions.

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USA: Trump bans DEI initiatives in federal government

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USA: Trump bans DEI initiatives in federal government

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued an order prohibiting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across federal agencies and directing the government to combat such practices in the private sector.

The sweeping order revokes several executive orders (EO) passed by the Democratic administrations in recent decades, including that of Lyndon B. Johnson, who served from 1963 to 1969, during a critical juncture of America’s civil rights movement. In the 1960s, Black Americans faced systemic discrimination that traced back to slavery and its aftermath. Though slavery had ended in 1865, Southern states had in its wake established racial-segregation laws and economic practices that deliberately kept Black Americans from accessing good jobs, education, and wealth-building opportunities. This persistent inequality sparked mass protests and civil rights marches across America, often met with violence, which ultimately pressured the federal government to enact reforms. Washington responded to the unrest with various policies aimed at dismantling such repressive practices, including the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964, and EO 11246, a 1965 order requiring government contractors to take concrete action to increase the representation of minorities and women in their workforce.

Trump’s new order revokes EO 11246, along with — among other such policies — a 1994 EO passed by Bill Clinton (1993-2001) requiring the federal government to address environmental disparities impacting minority and low-income populations, and a 2011 order passed by Barack Obama (2009-2017) pushing for diversity within the federal workforce, among other directives.

In addition, the new policy requires federal agencies to identify “the most egregious and discriminatory DEI practitioners” across key sectors and develop enforcement plans targeting corporations, universities, and other institutions with potentially discriminatory practices.

“Hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American Dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex,” the order states.

Under the directive, the Justice Department and Education Department must issue guidance within 120 days to educational institutions receiving federal funding on compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that struck down race-conscious college admissions.

The order maintains exemptions for veterans’ preferences and does not restrict academic freedom to discuss DEI practices in higher education settings.

The policy delivers on Trump’s campaign promises to dismantle DEI initiatives, which grew to new prominence in 2020 following the killing by police of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, in Minnesota. Floyd’s death provoked outrage over enduring elements of systemic racism, including police killings, and sparked a national conversation about righting historical wrongs. Many companies and organizations enacted DEI initiatives in the aftermath of Floyd’s killing as a means of counteracting repressive policies.

Advocates have celebrated DEI policies as necessary for addressing historical inequities, while critics have slammed them, claiming they prioritize identity politics over merit. In a fact sheet accompanying Wednesday’s order, the Trump administration pointed to the latter sentiment, stating: “Many corporations and universities use DEI as an excuse for biased and unlawful employment practices and illegal admissions preferences.” This divide emerged as a significant point of contention between often pro-DEI Democratic candidates and their increasingly anti-DEI Republican counterparts during the 2024 campaign season.

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Japan court urges government to recognize legality of same-sex marriage

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Japan court urges government to recognize legality of same-sex marriage

The Fukuoka High Court ruled that Japan’s current policy against same-sex marriage is discriminatory and unconstitutional on Friday. This marks the third time a High Court in the country has declared the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, and this ruling specifically calls on the government to undertake necessary legal reforms.

In this case, three couples living in Fukuoka and Kumamoto whose same-sex marriage registrations were rejected, sought compensation from the government. The six appellants claimed that the Civil Code of Japan and the Family Registration Act, which ban same-sex marriage, violates the Japanese constitution. This appeal followed the Fukuoka District Court’s ruling that the government was not required to take immediate legislative action, despite being in a “state of unconstitutionality.”

Presiding Judge Okada Takeshi highlighted the importance of legal recognition for same-sex couples, in light of the constitutional principles of individual dignity and gender equality. The court referenced Article 13 of the Constitution for the first time, stating that the absence of a legal framework for same-sex marriage denies individuals in same-sex relationships a means to pursue happiness.

He emphasized that sexual orientation is determined before birth or early in life and is not a choice that can be changed by will or psychiatric methods. Thus, the desire to pursue happiness through the establishment of a family is the same for both heterosexual and same-sex couples.

The government argued on definition of marriage under Article 24 of the Constitution, citing the terms “both sexes” and “husband and wife.” In response, the court clarified that the legislative intention of Article 24 was not to prohibit same-sex marriage but to eliminate the historical subordination of wives in the family system. “There is no longer any reason to not legally recognize marriage between same-sex couples,” Judge Okeshi concluded.

After the ruling, four plaintiffs hailed the decision outside the court. They held a sign , questioning why Japan’s parliament has not yet legalized same-sex marriage.

This ruling aligns with two prior High Court decision in Sapporo and Tokyo, which similarly deemed the government’s stance on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

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Ugandan court awards $40K to men tortured after arrest for alleged homosexuality

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Ugandan court awards $40K to men tortured after arrest for alleged homosexuality

A Ugandan court on Nov. 22 awarded more than $40,000 (Shs 150 million) to 20 men who police tortured after their 2020 arrest for alleged homosexuality.

The High Court of Uganda’s Civil Division ruling notes “police and other state authorities” arrested the men in Nkokonjeru, a town in central Uganda, on March 29, 2020, and “allegedly tortured.”

“They assert that on the morning of the said date their residence was invaded by a mob, among which were the respondents, that subjected them to all manner of torture because they were practicing homosexuality,” reads the ruling. “The alleged actions of torture include beating, hitting, burning using a hot piece of firewood, undressing, tying, biding, conducting an anal examination, and inflicting other forms of physical, mental, and psychological violence based on the suspicion that they are homosexuals, an allegation they deny.”

More: https://www.washingtonblade.com/2024/11/26/ugandan-court-awards-40k-to-men-tortured-after-arrest-for-alleged-homosexuality/