The Founder and CEO of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Galactic, Richard Branson, has urged President Akufo-Addo not to endorse the controversial Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as the Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill.

Expressing his apprehensions about the bill's passage, Mr Branson emphasised that individuals should not face imprisonment for their identity.

He denounced the bill as draconian and inhumane, asserting that it violates human rights and should not be enacted into law.

Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill is a steep backslide on human rights, and an economic disaster. Here’s why President Addo must swiftly veto it: https://t.co/M0wiMX9iDV pic.twitter.com/qFLXSolkaS

— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) March 25, 2024

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, March 26th, he further criticized the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill as a significant regression in terms of human rights and warned of its potential negative economic implications for the country.

• Read also: Your delay in assenting to Anti-LGBTQI+ Bill not justified – Catholic Bishops to Akufo-Addo

"In late February, I watched with deep concern as Ghana’s parliament passed a cruel and terrifying new anti-LGBTQ+ bill, that criminalises people simply for coming out, giving courts the power to impose a prison sentence of up to three years.

"To be thrown in jail just for being who you are and who you love defies belief. To make things worse, people who support LGBTQ+ rights could also face jail terms of up to five years under the new legislation."

"With the backing of Ghana’s two major political parties, the bill is now waiting to be signed by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

"The President has said he won’t act on the bill until the Supreme Court rules on challenges against it.

"Today, I join many other human rights advocates in Africa and around the world in calling on the President to veto this draconian and hateful piece of legislation," he posted.

Currently, there is an impasse over the transmission of the Bill from Parliament to the Presidency.

The President halted the transmission of the anti-gay bill, while the Speaker of Parliament suspended the approval of new ministerial nominees citing a court case.