Senegal Enacts Controversial Anti-LGBT Legislation Amid International Criticism

The president of Senegal has given the green light to a highly contentious bill, which significantly stiffens the penalties for same-sex relations, doubling the maximum prison sentence to 10 years. This legislative move also criminalizes any attempts to promote homosexuality, further tightening the noose around LGBTQ+ rights in the nation.

The decision comes despite substantial backlash from global human rights organizations, with U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk decrying the law as contrary to fundamental human rights like dignity, equality, and freedom of expression. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, both proponents of stricter anti-LGBT laws, have fulfilled their campaign promises by enforcing this legislation.

Senegal's already stringent penal code, which previously imposed up to five years of imprisonment for 'acts against nature,' now incorporates harsh penalties, including fines up to 10 million CFA francs. The passing of this law has coincided with an uptick in arrests on charges linked to homosexuality, and, in some cases, HIV transmission.