[L’ET DIT TÔT] Gays sénégalais : tolérance sociale oui, mais tolérance zéro si mineurs impliqués ou intention de donner le sida (Par Ousseynou Nar Gueye)
Senegal awoke to a media frenzy last weekend. The arrest of several people, including two emblematic figures of the audiovisual and cultural landscape; the star television presenter Pape Cheikh Diallo and the singer for driankés and grand Sumu mandingues, Djiby Dramé kor Maman Chérie; for (alleged) acts of unacceptable morality and endangering public health, plunged the country into deep shock and endless gossip.
"The Pape Cheikh Diallo affair, Djiby Dramé and (bad) company: the saga that makes fathers and mothers shudder…"
This is the scoop that rocked the homes of Ndoumbélane. TFM's star presenter, wedding singer Djiby Dramé, and his alleged accomplices have been in jail since Monday. Between accusations of "money laundering and unnatural acts" and "deliberate transmission of virus X," the case resembles a bad script from the African version of Netflix, with a monthly subscription of 5,000 CFA francs. Senegal seems to have discovered a passion for raids on lubricants (almost forgetting that the economy itself is sorely lacking in fluidity?).
But behind the sarcasm and social media frenzy, the heart of the matter is far more serious than mere misplaced curiosity. We are talking about an international network, allegedly led by a French national, that mixes private practices with public health crimes.
"For tolerance within discretion"
It is time to address this issue with the clarity demanded by our social contract. Senegal is a land of faith and deeply rooted values. While sexuality between consenting adults falls within the private sphere, discretion must be its absolute corollary to preserve social peace. As long as these practices remain private, far removed from proselytism and public scandal, society can and must demonstrate a certain degree of restraint.
As was the custom in the 70s and 80s for "uncles" who didn't mind being called "aunties," those men in charge of cooking at large family gatherings. Aunties with masculine names, about whom I'm not sure whether they simply had effeminate mannerisms, with their loose-fitting clothes dyed in thioub colors reminiscent of women's boubous, their tus ngal under their eyelids, a touch of foundation on their faces, and an affected, exaggerated manner of speaking. Or whether they were actually practicing homosexuals, passive or active in their intimate acts.
Because when it is proven that they are caught in the act in a cave or on a beach along the Medina coast, or in a cemetery (sic!) in the act (let's remain discreet…), or when a Senegalese homosexual reveals that he is actually having sex with someone of the same sex, they do not hesitate to hunt him down like a vermin, with machetes brandished in an equally bestial manner: as was the case with the master of ceremonies Pape Mbaye, who, along with his accomplices, had to be exfiltrated in the dead of night a decade ago, first to Gambia and then to the United States, where they obtained political asylum, to prevent them from being killed by the enraged Senegalese mobs. Since then, Pape Mbaye 'dares' to come to Gambia, but no longer sets foot in Djolofland…
This is not about inciting hatred. No one should be lynched, either physically or psychologically, for what they do behind closed doors. Human dignity is sacred. However, this social tolerance ends where crime begins.
"The crime of deliberate transmission and the danger to minors"
What makes the current case intolerable and truly despicable is not so much the sexual orientation of the accused, but the nature of the alleged acts. Let's call a spade a spade: the WHO still classified homosexuality as a mental illness until 1980; that is to say, yesterday, in historical terms. While this perception has evolved, the protection of our children remains unchanged.
It is unacceptable that networks exploit their notoriety or financial power to lead minors or corrupted adults into what our society considers deviant behavior. Extremely serious: the accusation of intentionally transmitting HIV/AIDS constitutes pure and simple criminal intent. Using one's body as a biological weapon to destroy the life of another is an act of barbarity that cannot be excused under any circumstances. The time for justice has come. Let the investigation proceed without succumbing to the passions of the "Jamraïstes" and "Samm-së-djikoïstes," but with rigor.
We can tolerate difference in the privacy of our bedrooms, but we will never tolerate the corruption of our youth and the deliberate spread of death.
By Ousseynou Nar Gueye, Founder of Tract Hebdo (www.tract.sn) and President of the civic and citizen engagement movement Option Nouvelles Générations - Woorna Niu Dokhal
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