Most African countries are constitutional democracies that afford extensive rights and freedoms to their citizens, and safeguard their dignity.

It is arbitrary, to say the least, to exclude from these the right to express sexuality or gender identity. But opponents of homosexuality would like to do just that. They often invoke “public interest”, “protection of community” and “morals” to violate the dignity of homosexuals.

Ghana’s constitution (https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Ghana_1996.pdf), for example, is widely hailed as an inspiring model of a state’s observance of these freedoms. Yet on June 29 last year The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 (https://cdn.modernghana.com/files/722202192224-0h830n4ayt-lgbt-bill.pdf) was introduced. It aims to promote “proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values, and proscribe the promotion of and advocacy for LGBTQ+ practice”...