Activists in Senegal are sounding the alarm over plans to bring in harsh new laws targeting the LGBTIQ community and its allies. A group of MPs has drafted a bill that aims to clamp down on LGBTIQ people, including gender identity and expression, and dramatically increase jail time for those prosecuted for their sexuality.
Queer sexuality is already criminalised in Senegal, with the existing penal code outlawing “an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex.” Those found guilty are published by between one and five years in prison and a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 francs.
Under the new proposed bill, the penalty for homosexuality will double to between five to ten years in jail – but it goes much further.