Although homosexuality is not a criminal offense in the Ivory Coast, the LGBTQ+ community remain on the periphery, grappling with a society that does not fully accept them.
This statement was originally published on globalvoices.org on 9 September 2024.
LGBTQ+ individuals from neighboring countries seek refuge in Côte d’Ivoire
Although homosexuality is not a criminal offense in the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, the LGBTQ+ community has no legal protections there. Amidst this legal uncertainty, LGBTQ+ individuals can organize meetings and events but remain on the margins of a society that does not accept them as fully-fledged citizens.
Unprotected haven
In Côte d’Ivoire, queer people are no longer legally persecuted. In an interview with French newspaper Le Monde, Brice Stéphane Djédjé, a sociologist specializing in LGBTQ+ matters, explained:
The Ivorian government remains neutral on this matter. This legal vacuum means the country treats the queer community with relative tolerance compared with its neighboring countries.
However, this community remains excluded from all legislation opposing all forms of discrimination. This exclusion follows the government’s refusal to include them in a change of legislation in 2021.
The circumstances in Côte d’Ivoire are unique on the African continent. Apart from South Africa, homosexuality is deemed illegal in most African countries and is often punishable by fines and imprisonment.
This is true for Côte d’Ivoire’s neighboring countries, such as Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal. Such circumstances also explain why many individuals seek refuge in Côte d’Ivoire.
On May 29, 2024, Le Monde reported the story of a young Guinean LGBTQ+ citizen who sought refuge in Abidjan (the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire) after the ordeals he suffered in Guinea, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
In Conakry, I was physically attacked several times and sexually assaulted three times. In Dakar, the same thing happened. In Bamako, someone stabbed me. I didn’t even dare go out during the day. When my neighbors in Ouagadougou found out I was gay, they drove me out of the neighborhood. Here, I can go out wearing makeup and party in my heels.
However, relative tolerance doesn’t mean queer people, wherever they come from, are safe. Brice Stéphane Djédjé explains further in the same article:
Abidjan is West Africa’s queer melting pot. However, a broad section of society still doesn’t accept LGBTQ+ individuals. Violence and assaults occur frequently, especially against transgender women.
A report titled “The LGBTQ+ Situation in Côte d’Ivoire,” published in December 2023, details the conditions in which queer people live in this country.
Online homophobic and transphobic speech
According to Côte d’Ivoire’s latest General Census of Population and Housing (RGPH 2021), Islam accounted for 42.5 percent of the country’s religion, and Christianity for 39.8 percent. However, in a society with two dominant religions, Côte d’Ivoire’s legal stance on LGBTQ+ rights doesn’t go far enough to ensure equality and safety for all its citizens.
Recent online protests against so-called “Woubis” reflect this observation. Ivorian news website Koaci defines this term as follows:
“Woubi” is a term coined in local culture to describe young men who dissociate from “traditional” masculinity and openly identify as homosexual. Such circumstances often elicit strong reactions, thus reflecting a deep-rooted opposition in the Ivorian collective conscience towards sexual orientations that don’t conform to norms set by local customs.
Ivorian influencer Farafina Wamy shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) calling for the community’s right to greater visibility:
[ Translation: An infuriated woubi. We are frustrated! Côte d’Ivoire has become a country of law and freedom for woubis. Power lies with woubism. pic.twitter.com/GZfkY6bc2x — Farafina Wamy (@FarafinaW) August 29, 2024 ]
Those who oppose the visibility of queer people in public places have become increasingly vocal as of late, especially on social media platforms like X and TikTok. Ivorian influencer General Camille Makosso, who has almost three million followers, called out the Ivorian president and his government in a TikTok video shared on X:
[ Translation: MORAL CRISIS IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE: URGENT CALL FROM #MAKOSSO FOR RELIGIOUS RESPONSIBILITY AND BOLDNESS IN DEALING WITH THIS WOUBI TREND #WOUBIS#MAKOSSO
<< President Alassane Outtara is Muslim. This means you Muslims will be the first ones to get through to him. As Muslims, do you think what is currently happening in Côte d’Ivoire is normal? Would this behavior be tolerated in Saudi Arabia? Never.
I now turn to the Christians, especially the pastors. You are the specialists in imagery in your churches. Do you have no messages to share other than “the internet will suspend you in 24 hours?” What about sanctification? When Sodom and Gomorrah knock on our doors, you know the consequences.
I would also like to address the Ivorian government. There comes a time in life when we must be bold.
If a fat bearded guy tells me he’s interested in his friend, I don’t care. It’s his life. If a woman tells me she’s attracted to her friend, that’s her problem.
But the moment it becomes propaganda, a spectacle, or an attempt to impose their way of life on us, it’s unacceptable.
— TIDJANE THIAM National FANS (@TidjaneThiam225) August 30, 2024 ]
In an Abidjan.net article on the matter, the media outlet presented some comments from Ivorian citizens criticizing homosexual behavior. Zagba Le Requin (the Shark), an artist from the Ivorian music group “Team Paiya,” is quoted as saying:
The woubis are shameless. Their hair is even longer than women’s. Some even line up for false nails. Each to their own. OK. I’m nobody to judge. OK. But respect the values of this great nation.
In this article, Hassan Hayek, a public social media figure in Côte d’Ivoire, maintained that actual homosexuals keep a low profile:
Genuine Woubis aren’t the ones dancing on social media. The actual ones remain hidden.
In response to this wave of intolerance, the Ivorian Ministry of Justice and Human Rights has cautioned people against the unethical use of social media and has reminded them of the penalties incurred. Article 367 of the Ivorian Penal Code states:
Anyone who says or sends any offensive, contemptuous, or abusive statement devoid of any factual accusation through an information system is punishable by one to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of XOF 5,000,000 to 100,000,000 ( USD 8,412 to 168,248).
Gromo, an Ivorian NGO that defends LGBTQ+ rights, is stepping up its social integration efforts for members of this community. However, the solution to the growing intolerance of these minority groups also requires legal recognition of their right to protection.
Written by Jean Sovon
