Protesters burn a rainbow flag at an anti-gay rally in Dakar, Senegal, Feb. Some anti-gay activists want even harsher penalties against sexual minorities, up to 10 years in prison.
Offenders can be punished with up to five years in prison and a fine of between 100,000 to 1,500,000 CFA – about $2,500. Senegal is a 95% Muslim country that already prohibits any “indecent or unnatural acts between individuals of the same sex,” as is written in the penal code. Claims that same-sex attraction and transgender identity are Western are false.' panel in 2018 flatly rejected the notion that homosexuality is a Western phenomenon, writing: 'Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people exist everywhere, in all countries, among all ethnic groups. LGBTQ people and numerous medical associations contend that sexual orientation and gender identity are innate and cannot be 'imposed' or changed. The event was organized by ultra-conservative Muslim groups who say homosexuality is being imposed on them by the West and threatens their traditional values. They were among the thousands that flocked to Place de l’Obélisque to call for harsher penalties for sexual minorities, often referred to as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or queer) people. A group of men gathered around a burning gay flag in Dakar Sunday and chanted: “Senegal will never accept homosexuality.” Others held signs that read: “Senegal says no to homosexuality” and “We demand an end to the LGBT agenda.”
