'Ghana can survive without your aid' - Catholic Bishops respond to threats over anti-LGBTQ+ bill passage

Most Rev. Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference, stated that Ghana must be fully prepared to reject foreign aid if such financial assistance comes with tags that conflict with the country's values and national interests. This follows the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, 2025 (anti-LGBTQ+ bill), by Parliament on Friday, May 29. He said, "If this is a unique essential existential interest to Ghana, then if they say, 'If you don't do this, we will not give you aid,' then we say, 'Take your aid, and we can survive.'"

Western governments and multilateral donors had hinted at severe fiscal consequences, suggesting they may freeze vital budgetary support to Ghana if the bill is officially signed into law. The revised anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed by the legislature seeks to heavily criminalise LGBTQ+ activities within the country, but includes legal safeguards for lawyers, journalists, and medical professionals. Supporters of the bill maintain that the law is absolutely necessary to safeguard Ghanaian family values and cultural heritage. Critics and international bodies argue that it severely undermines fundamental constitutional rights.

Most Rev. Gyamfi called on state managers to urgently restructure the economy toward complete self-reliance, arguing that the nation has more than enough natural and human resources to manage its core affairs without relying on conditional foreign charity. He suggested that the potential withdrawal of foreign funding should be leveraged as a golden opportunity for Ghana to break its long-standing cycle of dependency and achieve true, uncompromised sovereignty.