In About-Face, Trump Administration Drops Opposition to Africa's Antigay Laws
JOHANNESBURG—The Trump administration is quietly reversing U.S. policy toward antigay laws being passed across Africa.
When Uganda enacted one of the world’s strictest antigay laws in 2023, the Biden administration imposed visa restrictions on its top officials and moved to cut off the country’s goods from U.S. markets. The Trump administration, in contrast, was silent last month when Ghana’s Parliament passed sweeping antigay legislation.
It is a marked turnaround in U.S. foreign-policy priorities, with the Trump administration pushing self-described America First foreign-assistance policies, which aim to tie aid more directly to U.S. diplomatic and security goals. The U.S. has sought to gain access to resources, such as critical minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo, while striking deals to provide funding for diseases such as malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis.
Ghana’s Parliament passed a law in May that punishes people who identify as LGBTQ with up to three years behind bars. The bill is now awaiting the signature of President John Mahama, who has signaled support for it. The government of Ghana didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The law was one of a number of measures African countries have passed in recent months that have increased criminal penalties for gay people. In March, Senegal’s president signed a new law that doubled the maximum prison sentence for sexual acts by LGBTQ couples to 10 years, and criminalized the “promotion” of homosexuality. In June, Niger’s military junta instituted a new penal code that punishes gay acts with up to a decade in prison.
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