Anti-gay crackdown nets celebrities in religion, media, fashion

Blood bank assures the nation its blood supply is HIV-free

The West African nation of Senegal remains enmeshed in anti-gay turmoil marked by homophobic police raids and probes, more than 50 arrests for “unnatural acts” and claims about gay networks deliberately spreading HIV.

The wave of arrests has now reached into the holy city of Touba,  the heart of Senegal’s dominant local Sufi Muslim sect, and into the National Blood Transfusion Center (CNTS) in Dakar.

In the midst of the anti-LGBTQ panic the National Assembly on March 11 overwhelmingly approved a bill to double the prison sentences for same-sex intercourse and criminalize so-called “promotion” of homosexuality. Late last month, Senegal President Bassirou Diomaye Faye signed that bill into law.

The total number of Senegal’s recent anti-gay arrests reached 56 on April 2, when police apprehended a CNTS doctor who had traveled to Blaise Diagne International Airport to try to flee the country. Senegal media report that he is currently hospitalized, recovering from a suicide attempt.

CNTS issued a press release assuring the public that its stored blood remains untainted with HIV and is safe for use in medical procedures.

Leral.net, a prominent Senegalese online news portal, said the arrest of religious singer Ass Dione “stands out as the most significant” among the 50-plus arrests, “triggering both surprise and outrage across social media platforms.”

Dione is renowned for his melodic recitations of religious poems that are performed during the month of Ramadan. His performances are widely shared across digital platforms such as YouTube and TikTok.

An additional nine arrests this past week in the city of Saint-Louis in northwest Senegal included Khadim Sèye — a master tailor and owner of Kemtane Fashion. They were charged with criminal conspiracy, unnatural acts, and the intentional transmission of HIV through unprotected sexual intercourse. Homophobic and fearful citizens of Senegal often assume that HIV-positive men who have sex are deliberately spreading the virus.

Khadim Sèye — who has two wives — reportedly confessed and blamed “Satan” for leading him into trouble.

The anti-gay crackdown began in December, when, according to the local press, 30 men were taken into custody on suspicion of committing “unnatural acts,” 27 of whom were placed in pretrial detention..

A dozen men were arrested  on Feb. 6 for “unnatural acts” and “intentionally transmitting HIV”. Among them was  Pape Cheikh Diallo, a popular television reporter, and Djiby Dramé, a musician.

Another five men were arrested for homosexual activity on Feb. 12 in Touba, They were charged with  conspiracy, unnatural acts and endangering the lives of others.