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Sites and Insights Gay Senegal News & Reports Useful websites for LGBT Africa: http://www.mask.org.za/ 1 Senegal: Gay community plays it quietly in face of social taboos 1/05 3 SenegalL: HIV-positive gays face double stigma 2/06 2 Uganda: Help Africa's Gay Men; You'll Save Their Women Too 11/07 4 Scandal over gay marriage rocks Senegal 2/08 6 Senegal Releases Five Men Arrested at "Gay Wedding" 2/08 7 Senegal police fire tear gas at anti-gay protesters 2/08 8 Gay conspiracy theory surfaces in Senegalese media 2/08 9 Discrimination, Stigma Against Senegal MSM Hindering HIV/AIDS Programs 6/08
21 January
2005 "There were active and passive gays, transvestites, queens, a whole
mass of people who're vilified and don't dare go to
hospital
because they're afraid of being blacklisted and marginalised. Many were illiterate
too," he said. "Being gay means being shut out. We
had to organise." However,
Sow, the head of projects at ANCS disagreed. "One
day the community will be strong enough to come out of hiding.
Until then
we must support them. Some people are just plain scared of
being associated with them publicly and of having to face a backlash." 17 February 2006 2 Dakar, (PlusNews) - Twenty-four-year old male sex worker Doudou (not his real name) was forced to turn to Senegal's leading gay NGO when his family members threw him out for being a homosexual. When he discovered he was HIV-positive a year later, Doudou was faced with a double whammy: gay and HIV-positive in a predominantly Muslim country where homosexuality is illegal. "A serious car accident in May 2003, that claimed the life of my companion, was what started it all," he recalled. The accident caused multiple fractures to his legs, causing him to use crutches for nearly one year. Stuck and immobilized at home with his family, he realised that they would never accept his sexual orientation. "My half brothers and half sisters kicked me out of the house while I was still struggling with crutches ... I could not bear their verbal daily abuse." Gays Sidelined In HIV/AIDS Programes Using his meagre savings, Doudou rented a room in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and turned to an NGO called 'And Ligeey' (Work Together in Wolof a local dialect) - which offers support services for men who have sex with men (MSM) and regular information campaigns on HIV/AIDS. It was while attending a workshop for MSM that Doudou got tested for HIV. The workshop was part of a survey trying to assess the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among MSM in the country. The study, undertaken between April and August 2004, revealed that 21.5 percent of MSM in Senegal were HIV positive. According to the 2005 National Survey on Demographic and Health, 0.7 percent of the country's total population is living with HIV/AIDS. Senegal has one of Africa's lowest HIV prevalence rates, thanks in part to efficient campaigning, testing and prevention encouraged by the government, but the gay community has been sidelined from AIDS programmes since homosexual sex is technically a crime. Doudou has not told his family about his positive status. "With what my family made me go through only during the period that my legs were broken, I can only imagine how much worse it would be if bedridden with AIDS," he commented. Without an education, Doudou has never managed to have a permanent job. Before his car accident, he relied on his sexual partners for financial support. "I can say I was addicted to prostitution, I had no regular jobs but earned lots of money from my partners," he said. His partner, who later got killed in the car accident, was married to a woman. "He used to say that he married her only to have children," explained Doudou. Because of the social stigma attached to homosexuality, some members of the gay community live a double life as married men with children. According to the 2004 study, more than 94 percent of men having sex with men in Senegal also have sexual relations with women. Doudou admitted never having practiced safe sex before discovering his positive status. "Now that I know I am HIV positive, I protect myself by asking my partners to wear condoms because I cannot [afford to] contract the virus twice," he said. Since August 2005, Doudou has been receiving antiretrovirals (ARVs) from the Red Cross centre in Dakar free of charge. Sex Work To Survive Despite the free access to this service, Doudou has been finding it difficult to get by, especially after his accident and his family's rejection. After having spent all his savings, he left his rented room and found temporary shelter with a friend in the suburbs of Dakar. He now lives in Mbour, a seaside locality 80 km south of the capital. "Doudou told me that a friend offered him a job in Mbour, but I found out later he was prostituting himself to live," noted a member of the 'And Ligeey' association. According to Doudou, homosexual men find it difficult to get jobs, because "when people realize we are MSM, they will not employ us or make sure we are sacked from the job we have." Two years after his accident, Doudou continues to be plagued by his car-accident injuries, resulting in costly medical follow ups, well beyond his means even with the help from his ‘And Ligeey’ friends. "A week ago, Doudou asked me for 100 CFA (US $2) to pay for the trip to get his ARV treatment. He has nothing left, he even sold his cell phone," commented one of the members of ‘And Ligeey’, who asked not be named.
20 November 2007 3 by Administrator Terrible, the news that came out this week as we marked World Aids Day. Things are very bad in Africa, and the poorer parts of the world. Some folks even declared that Africa, where about 70 per cent of the 36 million people worldwide infected with HIV/Aids live, is losing the war against the disease. Aids killed a record number of people in the third world and Eastern Europe this year, but Sub-Saharan Africa remains the worst affected region with about 3.2 million new infections and 2.3 million deaths. When one thinks of it, there is nothing new in those grim numbers. Nearly everything has been tried to deal with Aids in Africa, but it seems not to have the dramatic effect it should in order to reverse the carnage. And the reasons for the failure are, again, not new - bad and corrupt government, wars, lousy infrastructure, illiteracy, and retrogressive cultural practices. It seems that until we rise above concentrating on the conventional causes for the massive destruction by Aids in Africa, people will continue to drop off like flies. One place to begin is a study done by the global organisation, the Population Council. It has not been talked about much because it is about a taboo subject in Africa - homosexuality. In Uganda too, there has never been a single Aids awareness message targeted at gay people. This is because most people consider it an "ungodly" sexual orientation. The Population Council study sought to find out the effect of this. It discovered that there are far more men in Senegal who are gay, than was publicly acknowledged. However, the killer finding was that very many men who are gay, are otherwise "happily" married to women. Because gay men meet discretely, their wives would not know it and are therefore content that they are "safe" - because we are conditioned to detect a man who is cheating with a woman, or a woman with man, not a man who is cheating on his wife with another man. Now, because gay men are a particularly high HIV-risk group, and they are totally ignored by Aids education campaigns, if we imagine that there are many such African men then the infections which we are blind to and doing nothing to prevent, are wiping out the gains made in the heterosexual sector. The point here is that if African societies and their governments were bolder and more open-minded about homosexuality, and invested resources in dealing with Aids among gays, then we would have made more progress. I share the view that, at the end of the day, in sexual behaviour, just like in other social activity like drinking and eating, Africa is not much different than the West. So while we are hysterically hostile to gay people, the only thing that has achieved is to drive them underground. In reality, we could have nearly as many gay people in Africa, as in the West, who knows? As someone who is familiar with the Senegal study of gays and Aids told me: "The people who will benefit most from having Aids awareness for gay men in Africa, could well be their wives and girlfriends"
February 05, 2008 4 By Hamadou Tidiane Sy, Nation Correspondent Mr Mansour Dieng, the Publication Director of Icone told the local media: “When we published the story (of the gay marriage) in a previous issue, we were treated as liars and accused of fabricating the story, we have decided to publish the photos to give the public an evidence of what we reported”. Death threats Mr Dieng claimed to have received death threats following the publication of the pictures which show a group of dressed up and happy males. Mr Dieng has since reported to police about the death threats. In the pictures, one of the suspects appears to be putting a ring on his partner’s finger. The alleged gay marriage was between a young Senegalese national and another West African citizen, believed to have gone into hiding since the affair was made public. With the police not making any official and public statement on the matter, the exact nationality of the runaway suspect is the subject of contradicting reports, some saying he is a Ghanaian national while others identify him as an Ivorian. Due to the same silent attitude from the police, it was also difficult to clearly establish if the arrests were linked to the celebration of the marriage, to the death threats or to both. According to l’Observateur, a private daily, same sex marriages are not allowed by Senegalese law. The newspaper quoted a lawyer as saying “any offender faces up to five years in prison and FCFA 1.5 million fine (US $ 3.600)” fine. In Senegal, a nation where Muslims represent more than 95 per cent of the population, homosexuality has always been a marginal, sensitive and highly taboo affair. Though, the phenomenon is known and has always existed, it is totally rejected as contrary to morality and religion. One pro-Islamic NGO, Jamra has issued a statement denouncing the threats against Mr Dieng, the publication director. But, the NGO also warned the country against the development of ‘‘sexual depravation, caused by the greed for easy money and which threatens the country’s youth”. The “Goorjigeen” (the name for biologically effeminate people) did exist in Senegalese traditional societies where they were somehow tolerated but not respected nor given any right to exhibit their sexual preferences. They were rather considered as really marginal human beings. According to popular belief many of the homosexuals who voluntarily engage in same sex practices in the big cities adhere to this way of life simply to make money, and the practices itself is at times easily confused with prostitution. In local websites and newspapers many people are expressing outrage and shock, saying these “foreign” practices should not be allowed to prosper in the country, while others denounce the hypocrisy of a society which has no courage to face itself. Last year a group of young female dancers, including Ndèye Guèye considered as one of the top dancers in the country, were arrested and tried for featuring in a video showing suggestive dance moves. The video was dubbed indecent and compared to pornography by some people. At the trial, all dancers were released and put “under probation” but the organisers of the private party and the owner of the club where it took place and where the video was shot were sentenced to prison terms. From: International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission & Pan African ILGA, the African region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association New York February 4, 2008 5 The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and PAN-Africa ILGA demand the immediate and unconditional release of 10 persons believed to have been arrested on suspicion of homosexuality in Senegal in the past week. 10 persons have been arrested in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, since the morning of Sunday 3 February after a popular local magazine, Icones, published photographs of a marriage ceremony between two Senegalese men. The wedding is believed to have taken place in a discrete location in Dakar more than a year-and-a-half ago. Sources report that the photographs were sold to the sensationalist magazine by the photographer for 1,500,000 ($3000) CFA francs. The arrests were reportedly undertaken upon the orders of Mr. Asane Ndoye, head of the Senegalese Police's Division of Criminal Investigation. It is unclear where the men and women are being held. "Mass arrests of people simply because they are gay terrorize the entire community," said Paula Ettelbrick, IGLHRC's executive director. "The inhuman treatment of gay men and lesbians must stop. We call upon the world community to enforce international human rights law." The U.N. Human Rights Committee affirmed in its decision in Toonen v. Australia (1994) that existing protection against discrimination in Articles 2 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) incorporates sexual orientation as a protected status. "We are afraid for our lives, especially those of us shown in the photographs," said Jean R., a Senegalese gay activist who spoke to ILGA and IGLHRC from a hotel where he is seeking refuge. "Some of us have gone into hiding and others are fleeing the country." Senegal is one of the few Francophone African countries that penalize homosexuality. Under Article 3.913 of the Senegalese penal code, homosexual acts are punishable by imprisonment of between one and five years and a fine of 100,000 ($200) to 1,500,000 ($3,000) CFA francs. While there are occasional arrests and convictions of gay men under the Article, social stigma and blackmail are the most prevalent abuses faced by gay men in the country. "Many consider Senegal to be one of the most progressive African countries on the issue of homosexuality," said Joel Nana, IGLHRC's Program Associate for West Africa. "The government has included a commitment to fighting HIV among men who have sex with men in its national AIDS response plan since 2005. That's why we found these arrests to be very distressing." Senegal has strong political and economic ties to a number of conservative Islamic governments and institutions, and will be hosting the summit of the Organization of Islamic Conference in March. The OIC has invested heavily in the rehabilitation of Dakar's infrastructure in preparation for the Summit. Under the circumstances, IGLHRC and Pan-African ILGA expressed concern as to whether Senegal is well-suited to host the upcoming International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), scheduled to take place in Dakar in December 2008. "There will be no room for an open and inclusive discussion on the human rights dimensions of HIV in the face of such harassment," said Danilo da Silva, co-chair of Pan-African ILGA, a federation gathering over 40 lesbian and gay groups from all parts of Africa. "We expect more from a leading country like Senegal."
07 February 2008 6 Police in the West African nation of Senegal have released five men detained after accused of participating in a same-sex wedding. Earlier this week, Rod 2.0 reported the men were arrested in the capital city of Dakar "after a local magazine published photographs of a marriage ceremony between two men." According to the BBC, the "pictures were published in Icone magazine, whose editor, Mansour Dieng, has since received death threats." Dieng has also been questioned by police over the issue and reportedly told Africa Global News "that he published the pictures to prove that an earlier article on homosexuality in Senegal was true." Le Soleil, the pro-government newspaper, reported "among the alleged fugitives were a Ghanaian, an Ivorian and two Senegalese", and, also a Frenchman. Senegal is a predominantly Muslim country and, although only rarely enforced, homosexual acts are prohibited under Senegalese law, with punishment ranging from one to five years in prison. Fines range from $200 to $3,000. Many Senegalese gay men and lesbians have been able to create a thriving underground gay community. The country is considered one of the more relaxed in Africa on the issue of homosexuality. Dakar will host the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa in December 2008. Some analysts believe these arrests were a potential source of embarrassment for a nation which boasted one of Africa's few official HIV/AIDS plans targeting men who have sex with men.
15 February 2008 7 "We want homosexuals to be wiped out in this country. We will continue to fight for Senegal to become a Muslim nation," said Cheikh Tidiane Ndiaye, a fisheries agent among the stone-throwing demonstrators around the Grande Mosquee de Dakar. "This practice does not conform to the religion practised in our country," he said, dressed in traditional blue robes and a white skull cap, as police fired tear gas behind him. Piles of rubbish were set ablaze in several blocks around the mosque and groups of youths shouting "We don't want homosexuals" barricaded roads. The protest was called after police released a group of men held for questioning following the publication of the photos. Local authorities had granted permission for the protest but later changed their minds and ordered police to break it up. "The police wanted to ban the march," said Landing Goudiaby, 36, unemployed. "Homosexuals are not welcome in our country. They're not tolerated in Senegal." Around him, the protesters chanted "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest). Newspapers have given front page treatment to what has been dubbed by media "the gay soap opera". Radio phone-ins have been swamped by calls, the majority strongly anti-homosexual. Some demonstrators said they had been angered by official signs of tolerance towards homosexuals weeks before Senegal hosts a summit of Islamic heads of state. As in most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, homosexuals live an underground life in Senegal where they are known as "gor-jiguene" (men-women). Most people in the former French colony consider homosexuality to be "unAfrican", a psychological disorder imported by Europeans. Thirty-eight of 85 U.N. member states which outlaw homosexuality are in Africa. South Africa became the first African nation to allow gay marriages in 2006. "Yes, it is a world phenomenon, but the sacred texts are against it," said evangelical pastor Michel Andrade, watching the Dakar demonstration, a wooden crucifix hanging from his neck. "Men of God don't tolerate it." (Writing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Pascal Fletcher and Robert Woodward)
25th February 2008 8 by PinkNews.co.uk staff writer While there are occasional arrests and convictions of gay men in Senegal, social stigma and blackmail are the most prevalent abuses faced by gay men in the country. Earlier this month the African Assembly for the Defence of Human Rights has expressed concern over the rise of homophobia and hatred of homosexuals in Senegal. Muslim organisations in the African nation have warned against "enemies of the faith and of morality." The arrests followed the publication in local magazine Icones photographs of a "marriage ceremony" between two Senegalese men. After all the men were released gangs of protestors clashed with riot police in front of Dakar's main mosque. The anti-homosexual demonstration had initially been authorised by police, but they changed their mind and used tear gas to disperse the crowd, who blockaded roads and burned piles of rubbish. Public reaction in the mainly Muslim former French colony has been stridently anti-homosexual. "The police wanted to ban the march," demonstrator Landing Goudiaby told Reuters. "Homosexuals are not welcome in our country. They're not tolerated in Senegal."
June 04, 2008 9 The Globe and Mail on Tuesday examined how "state-sponsored" discrimination and stigma against men who have sex in men in Senegal has "shattered" HIV/AIDS programs aimed at the high-risk group. According to studies conducted by researchers at a university in the capital of Dakar in conjunction with local MSM , about 20% of Senegalese MSM are HIV-positive, compared with 0.7% of the general population. In addition, about 80% of MSM in the country have female partners. Senegal's National Council for the Fight Against AIDS in 2002 "quietly" began to fund HIV prevention outreach for MSM, and it formally included the group in the national strategy against HIV/AIDS a few years ago, the Globe and Mail reports. However, in March -- when the country hosted the summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference -- Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade launched a campaign against attendees of a gay wedding, which included the founder of the first MSM organization established in the country who goes by the pseudonym Ceri, the Globe and Mail reports. According to Ceri, "Some people fled the country, and some went into hiding" during the government's campaign. He added, "For reasons of cultural or religious or community sensibilities, [people in Senegal] may not want to talk about [MSM], but it's here" and the country cannot effectively fight the disease without acknowledging the community. Chiekh Niang of the Cheikh Anta Diop University said that the "government wanted to present an ultra-Muslim image of Senegal" to leaders attending the conference and that "they found a group to crush." Niang said, "Everyone -- governments, even AIDS researchers -- would say, 'MSM in Africa, it doesn't exist, and where it does exist, it's a Western import, it is not indigenous and not a real source of HIV transmission.'" He added, "It's homophobia: The strongest way of marginalizing a group is to say it does not exist, and even the researchers are not immune." Ndella Diakhate, a senior executive of the country's national AIDS council, said MSM are "our people and they have the right to ... be protected from HIV." She added, "They have to be protected, for themselves and because they can be a route of transmission to the rest of [the] population." She noted that the events of the past few months are regrettable but that they likely will pass and that work will resume "without enormous consequences." Ceri said, "I don't see [the situation] improving because after all the work we have done, there is more homophobia than ever." He added that Senegalese society "will perhaps accept for [MSM] to fight HIV, but never accept for [MSM] to fight for [MSM's] human rights, or even recognize" MSM (Nolen, Globe and Mail, 6/3). |
