Human rights groups press Senegal to safeguard LGBTQ+ community amid rising hostility

International human rights organisations are urging Senegalese authorities to uphold and protect the rights of LGBT people as the country experiences a new wave of homophobia.

Earlier this month, 12 men were arrested in Dakar on accusations of “acts against nature” and intentional transmission of HIV. Those detained include a prominent television journalist and a widely known musician.

Extensive media coverage of the arrests has intensified fear and stigma within the LGBT community, as reported by Africa News. Health workers focused on HIV prevention and treatment report growing concern that they could be drawn into criminal investigations through contact tracing on the detainees’ phones and other devices.

Public hostility toward homosexuality has escalated in Senegal in recent years. So‑called “unnatural acts” are already punishable by up to five years in prison under existing law, although two recent parliamentary attempts to further increase penalties have failed.

A conservative Muslim coalition, And Samm Djikko Yi (Together to Protect Values), is now pressing the government to deepen criminalisation of same-sex relations and related conduct, threatening to launch a nationwide mobilisation if new, harsher legislation is not in place by April.

Human Rights Watch and other organisations are calling on Senegalese authorities to immediately release those arrested, repeal discriminatory provisions targeting LGBT people, and ensure that all residents can live free from violence, arbitrary detention, and persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity.