This Story From Africa Hits A Little Close To Home. Is This What Religious Conservatives in Venango County Want For GLBT People?

It all started with a wedding - a private expression of love between two men. It ended with arrests, death threats, violence and expulsion. In Senegal, the laws and social attitudes leave no place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to live in safety.


Last year, two young men celebrated their love with a wedding ceremony in Dakar, Senegal, complete with photographs, guests, and vows. Months later, many who attended the wedding faced a nightmare when they found that the photographer had sold the wedding photos to a national tabloid.

Many of the photos were published, complete with screaming headlines decrying homosexuality. The photos and the hatred were republished for months throughout Senegal, creating a firestorm of hatred and hostility mostly among religious conservatives.

Within days, 17 people whose photos appeared in the magazine were hounded, driven from their homes, harassed, threatened and arrested. One man, Soulyman, jumped from a third floor window to avoid arrest, only to be captured and brutally interrogated despite a broken leg and other serious wounds.

Pape Mbaye, whose story was recounted in The New York Times last month, sought safety in neighboring Gambia. That is, until Gambian president, Yahya Jammeh, vowed to kill any homosexual found in his country and commanded landlords and hotels owners to turn away LGBT people. With the help of the international community, Pape was eventually able to make his way to New York.

Qusmane, a 24-year old man, was easily identified in the photos. The police came to his home. Not finding him, they arrested his French-national boyfriend and deported him. Qusmane was shunned by friends and neighbors, his mother was fired from her job, and his family members were attacked by mobs. Qusmane went into hiding, hoping the situation would clear. Eventually, though, he too had to leave his country.

While those arrested were released, the wide public exposure and ensuing hateful response stoked by religious conservatives continues to plague them. They will never regain the lives they had. The scars and fear have impacted the entire LGBT community in Senegal.

Every day, LGBT people face abuse and violence simply for being who they are.

The right to freedom, equality and privacy is supposed to extend to all human beings.

Check out the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission for more information.