Following a conference in Ghana, African parliamentarians want to toughen anti-LGBT laws on the continent

Parliamentarians from more than a dozen African countries have pledged to promote new legislation further restricting the rights of LGBT people, following a conference held in Ghana. The meeting brought together elected officials and activists from Africa and Europe who presented themselves as defenders of "family values."

The African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values ​​and Sovereignty was held in Accra from June 3 to 6. According to the organizers, some twenty countries were represented. The event took place just days after the Ghanaian Parliament adopted one of the strictest laws on the continent regarding LGBT people.

The legislation adopted in Ghana criminalizes the promotion of LGBT issues. This initiative reflects a trend observed in several African countries, where political leaders are seeking to strengthen restrictions targeting sexual minorities.

According to several conference participants, this movement enjoys the support of conservative figures in the United States and Europe. They also believe that the return of Donald Trump The White House created a more favorable context for their demands.

Some elected officials present explained that they saw a political opportunity in the Trump administration's policies. Unlike the administrations of Barack Obama and Joe BidenWhile some US administrations had integrated the promotion of LGBT rights into certain aspects of their foreign policy, the current US administration does not place this issue at the forefront of its diplomatic action.

Human rights advocates have been warning for several years about the increasing number of restrictive laws targeting LGBT people in several African countries. They believe these measures increase discrimination and the risk of violence against the minorities concerned.

The Accra conference thus highlights a political dynamic that could have repercussions beyond Ghana. Several participants affirmed their intention to present or support new legislative proposals in their respective countries, paving the way for new debates on LGBT rights across the African continent.