September 4, 2025
Burkina Faso is known for being socially conservative and religious with under 10% of people not following any faith at all.
Burkina Faso is joining a list of African nations adopting anti-homosexuality legislation, banning LGBTQ+ acts, with offenders facing serious prison time and fines, Associated Press reports.
Parliament’s law was passed Sept. 1, with the amended family code approved following a unanimous vote, putting the law into effect more than a year after being approved by the military government under the leadership of Capt. Ibrahim Traore. During a television broadcast, Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala described homosexual acts as “bizarre behavior, with individuals in same-sex relationships facing two to five years in prison under the new law.
Pushing the narrative that Burkina Faso is recognizing “marriage and family values,” the judge laid out the risks of homosexual relationships. “The law provides for a prison sentence ranging from two to five years and a fine,” he said, according to NBC News.
“A person who (engages in) homosexual practices … will appear before a judge and, in the event of a repeat offense, be deported if you are not a Burkinabe national.”
Human rights advocates have criticized the African nation after a coup in 2022, resulting in the country being taken over by the military, claiming it was a way to stabilize the country that was allegedly approaching a security crisis and required better governance. Restrictions for members of the LGBTQ community add to the issue, in addition to pushing against legal recourse in nationality cases.
Burkina Faso is known for being socially conservative and religious, with under 10% of people not following any faith at all. More than half of Africa’s 54 countries have enacted laws banning homosexuality with harsh penalties ranging from years in prison to the death penalty. In 2023, Uganda approved a bill that includes death and life sentences in prison.
Documents list same-sex intercourse with persons under 18, an “offender” who is HIV+, or a person who even identifies as LGBTQ, as aggravated homosexuality.
Ghana passed similar legislation, the “Human Sexual Rights and Family Values,” labeling being openly gay as a criminal act. Under provisions of the bill, people who engage in LGBTQ sexual acts risk six months to three years behind bars. People who participate in “wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities” may receive a sentence of three to five years.
However, activist groups pushed back, adding pressure for Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, to reject the bill, also referred to as the Anti-Gay Bill. While he never openly supported the bill, he has mentioned that gay marriage will never be allowed under his reign.
In 2024, the neighboring country of Mali, an ally of Burkina Faso, faced mass criticism for adopting legislation criminalizing homosexuality. The law prompted the World Bank to impose a ban on Uganda’s borrowing money, resulting in the ban being lifted.
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