A group of Senegalese lawmakers in west Africa have drafted a law that would tighten their already repressive laws against same-sex relations, lengthening potential jail terms for those convicted of LGBT+ activities.
According to a 2020 global review by the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA), arrests have risen sharply in Senegal, with the current law already targeting anyone who commits an "act against nature" with persons of the same gender.
Same-sex relations remain taboo in many socially conservative African societies, where some religious groups have branded it a “corrupting Western import.”
It is legal in only 22 of Africa's 54 countries and punishable by death or lengthy prison terms in others.
Neighbouring Ghana is also considering an anti-LGBT+ law that would lengthen jail terms and force some to undergo "conversion therapy."
Senegalese lawmaker, Alioune Souare, who helped draft the update to the anti-LGBT+ in Senegal, said they “hope to present the proposal to the parliament by the end of the week.”