Ghana's Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, widely known as the anti-LGBTQ+ bill, continues to generate intense national debate following its passage by Parliament on May 29, 2024. This followed an earlier passage of the bill on February 28, 2024, with subsequent amendments leading to its latest approval. The legislation's path to presidential assent is now fraught with controversies surrounding its content, the procedural aspects of its passage, and the President's commitment to signing it into law.

Initially, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, the Member of Parliament for Assin South and a ranking member on Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, dismissed claims that the bill criminalizes counselling, healthcare, and pastoral support for persons identifying as LGBTQ+. He asserted the legislation targets the promotion and encouragement of LGBTQ+ practices, not professional services. However, Rev. Ntim Fordjour later alleged that the Majority caucus (NDC) significantly altered the bill. He claimed 22 original provisions were deleted, and 31 new ones were introduced during the legislative process. These changes reportedly included exemptions for foreign envoys, representatives of non-governmental organisations, and United Nations officials, as well as lawyers, journalists, and healthcare professionals, from sanctions if they promote LGBTQ-related activities under their professional mandates. He questioned why such protections were introduced if the original bill did not intend to criminalize professional care. Specific amendments also involved replacing 'holds out' with 'identifies, openly represents that person or professes as' in Clause 1, 'citizen' with 'person' in Clause 2, and deleting and replacing an entire sub-clause defining sexual intercourse in Clause 3, alongside changes to Clause 6 regarding premises for prohibited acts.

The circumstances surrounding the bill's passage have also drawn scrutiny. Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, MP for Bosome Freho, raised concerns that key sponsors, including Rev. Ntim Fordjour, were absent when Parliament concluded deliberations on critical amendments, particularly those in Clause 9. He claimed the sponsors did not support these exemptions and questioned the legitimacy of the final motion being moved by Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, who is not listed as a sponsor. The Minority caucus further queried why the bill passed in February 2024 was not presented to former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in its original form, but was instead returned with 31 amendments. They criticized the narrative that Akufo-Addo had refused to sign the bill, arguing that by President Mahama's own account, the bill had not been properly submitted for assent.

President John Mahama, speaking at Chatham House in London on June 1, indicated that the bill still required