''A man that's known as being a homosexual can't be buried in a cemetery. His body needs to be thrown away like trash.... His parents knew that he was gay and they did nothing about it. So when he died we wanted to make sure he was punished.''
Babacar Sene, a resident of the area where the family of Madieye Diallo lives in Senegal. Diallo was a gay man who died of AIDS last year. The Associated Press details his case now because a video is circulating that shows, as they describe it, a mob dragging Diallo's body from where it was buried, through the streets, and then dumping his spat-upon corpse in front of the home of his elderly parents. AP reports that anti-gay feelings have risen in Senegal recently echoing the same behavior seen in other African countries -- Nigeria being the most well-known case. Much of the beliefs rising in Senegal allegedly stems from political opportunists who exploit the anti-gay religious beliefs of the country's Muslim population. (AP / Washington Post)
''The current militant backlash against gay men started last year. It can be traced to a secret gay wedding. Someone took photos, and a magazine published them. They showed a group of black men dressed in white, and they were feeding each other cake.''
Jori Lewis, reporter for "The World" in a report filed last July. Lewis detailed the same homophobic sentiment in Senegal that the AP is reporting on again today. (The World)
