LGBTQ, intersex Gambians continue to suffer persecution
LGBTQ and intersex Gambians continue to face persecution, even though President Adama Barrow ousted Yahya Jammeh in 2016 after 22 years in power.
Jammeh during his rule enacted several laws that specifically targeted LGBTQ and intersex Gambians. The former president who is currently in exile in Equatorial Guinea introduced the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2014 that carried a life sentence for anyone who was found to be LGBTQ.
Jammeh, among other things, also threatened to slit gay men’s throats Many Gambians who identify as LGBTQ or intersex fled the country because they feared arrest or even death.
Jammeh’s own nephew, Alagie Jammeh, in 2014 posted on Facebook that no one should be denied their fundamental basic human rights because of their sexuality.
