On the occasion of the World Day Against Homophobia on May 17, Ariel Weil, Mayor of Paris Centre, calls on France to act by all means in response to the persecution in Senegal of people suspected of homosexuality, particularly by welcoming LGBT people seeking refuge.
For weeks now, we have witnessed a strange silence in the face of a dramatic situation. A silence that leaves me pensive. In March, Senegal adopted a law doubling the sanctions against LGBT+ people. Since the adoption of this law, LGBT+ people have endured a violent anti-LGBT campaign with a wave of arrests for “acts against nature” of individuals presented as homosexual.
I cannot remain silent regarding the situation of LGBT+ people in Senegal.
For sixty years, the Senegalese Penal Code has punished “imprisonment of one to five years and a fine” for acts deemed “against nature with an individual of his sex”. This legislation leads to arrests, arbitrary detentions and convictions of people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, real or presumed. The enactment of this law in March last makes Senegal one of the most repressive countries in this regard and drastically worsens the situation for LGBT+ people.
The historical, cultural and economic ties between France and Senegal require a demanding dialogue about the values we claim to share. Human rights cannot be relegated to a secondary concern.
I also believe that local authorities have a role to play in human rights diplomacy and in defending people persecuted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This week, during the Paris Centre Council, we unanimously adopted a text calling for mobilization by the City of Paris, the regional prefecture and the French government in response to this situation.
Paris and more broadly France have always been safe havens that have welcomed people who are victims of discrimination, repression and inequalities around the world. In the face of the dramatic situation in Senegal, where are the mobilizations on social networks, in front of embassies, in Parliament, on television programs, in cultural and artistic circles? We cannot remain silent.
As this weekend of May 17 approaches, we celebrate the World Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, and our city, Paris, has committed to fighting all forms of discrimination, I would like to articulate several clear demands.
I call on the French government to reiterate, within the framework of its bilateral dialogue with the Republic of Senegal, its commitment to universal decriminalization of homosexuality and to respect for the fundamental rights of LGBT+ people.
I also ask that France condition its cooperation programs on strengthened guarantees for non-discrimination and the protection of human rights defenders, including those who defend the rights of LGBT+ people.
I hope that the City of Paris will support French and Senegalese associations working on welcoming, health and legal protection for LGBT+ people who are victims of persecution.
Finally, I ask that the regional prefecture establish an official program to welcome LGBT+ refugees coming from Senegal.
In the face of persecutions, indifference is never neutral. France must remain faithful to its vocation: to be a bulwark for those whose fundamental rights are threatened.
Ariel Weil, Mayor of Paris Centre and Paris Councillor
