Fear for life
Subtitle: violence against gay men and men perceived as gay in Senegal
By: [Dipika Nath with assistance from Inge Sturkenboom]
Contributors: Sturkenboom, Inge; Human Rights Watch (Organization)
Publisher: Human Rights Watch
Published: 2010
Place of publication: New York, NY
Language: eng
Number of pages: 95
ISBN-13: 9781564327192
Subjects: Human rights; Violence against; Gay rights; Gay men; Transgender people; Legal status, laws
Other titles: Violence against gay men and men perceived as gay in Senegal
Description: "Violence against people on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender expression escalated in Senegal starting in early 2008. Men who identify as or are perceived to be gay have become targets of popular vengeance and arbitrary arrests.   Abuses have included police beatings and arbitrary detention; physical threat, assault, and verbal abuse by private individuals; and blackmail, extortion, and robbery.  Although recent panics over homosexuality cast it as a new and foreign phenomenon in Senegal, all anecdotal and documentary evidence suggests that same-sex relations between men as well as women have long existed in Senegalese society, even if the terms have changed over time. What is new is the manipulation of anti-gay sentiment by some Senegalese political and religious leaders, which has fed an upsurge in private actor violence.  Some religious leaders and Senegalese media have contributed to the upsurge by giving prominent coverage to the hate-mongering and offering virtually no counter-narrative.  Fear for Life helps fill that gap, revealing the impact of violence on individual lives and examining some of the underlying causes of the current intolerance. The report looks in detail at two key incidents--the 'gay marriage' scandal of February 2008 and the arrest of the 'nine homosexuals of Mbao' in December 2008--and examines several other cases that show the climate of fear and suspicion in which these attacks take place. It concludes with a call to Senegalese authorities to uphold the fundamental rights of all persons, end impunity for perpetrators of attacks, and promote a culture of tolerance."--P. [4] of cover.
Notes: "November 2010"--P. iii.

"This report was researched and written by Dipika Nath, researcher in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program at Human Rights Watch with the assistance of Inge Sturkenboom, then with Human Rights Watch."--P. 95.

Includes bibliographical references.

Also issued online.
Table of contents: title: Summary; title: Key Recommendations; title: A Note on Methodology and Terminology; title: Two Stories : Police Power, Public Panic, and Ruined Lives; title: The "Gay Marriage" Scandal; title: The "Nine Homosexuals of Mbao"; title: A Canvas of Abuse : Arbitrary Arrests, Community Violence; title: Arbitrary Arrest and Abuse by the Police; title: Violence by Non-State Actors; title: "In Senegal, You Don't Need Proof, Only Suspicions"; title: Suspicion and secrecy; title: Strategies for passing; title: The cultural value of privacy; title: Promoting Fear : The Role of Religious Leaders and the Media; title: A Campaign against Homosexuals; title: The Changing Religious Landscape; title: The Role of Religious Leaders Condemning Homosexuality; title: The Role of the Media in the Escalation of the Violence; title: HIV/AIDS and Homosexual Conduct in Senegal; title: The Effect of Violence on HIV/AIDS Outreach; title: Voices of HIV-Positive Gay Men; title: Relevant International and Senegalese Legal Standards.