Senegal is intensifying its crackdown on LGBTQ+ individuals through legislative measures that would significantly increase prison sentences for same-sex conduct. The West African nation, where homosexuality remains criminalized under colonial-era laws, is poised to enact tougher penalties that have triggered widespread fear within the LGBTQ+ community.
The legislative advancement follows Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s proposal earlier this year to enhance punishments for what Senegalese law euphemistically terms ‘unnatural acts.’ The amended legislation, ratified on March 11, awaits presidential endorsement from newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. If enacted, imprisonment terms would double from five to ten years maximum.
This legal hardening occurs against a backdrop of escalating social hostility. Human Rights Watch documents how anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has intensified, with numerous arrests reported since February. In one horrific incident from October 2023, a mob in Kaolack exhumed, desecrated, and burned the body of a man presumed to be gay—an event that circulated widely on social media.
Activist groups like And Samm Djiko Yi (‘Together for the Preservation of Values’) have organized protests framing homosexuality as foreign to Senegalese values. Founder Serigne Ababacar Mboup alleges an imposed ‘LGBTQ+ agenda’ from Western nations and international bodies, stating: ‘Homosexuality contradicts our customs, values, and beliefs.’
The climate has forced organizations like Free Senegal to cease operations—closing a Dakar safe house in 2025 over security concerns. A spokesperson noted that homophobic organizations now operate with impunity, often backed by politicians seeking electoral support. Many LGBTQ+ individuals have gone into hiding or fled the country entirely, with some finding refuge in nations like France.
Despite international condemnation of similar measures in Uganda and other African states, Senegal joins the trend of strengthening anti-LGBTQ+ laws across the continent, where over half of countries criminalize same-sex relationships.