Cry Like a Boy is an original podcast series from Euronews that explores the stories of men in five African countries challenging what it means to “be a man” in their societies #CryLikeaBoy
Last updated: 4 hours ago
Since 1966, being homosexual in Senegal is considered a crime and punishable by law. But a few decades ago, some Senegalese men openly identified themselves as neither male nor female, but as an alternative gender - the “Góor-jigéen” or “men-women”.
These terms are aimed at belittling the masculinity of homosexual men. Why do you think this is the case? Why do you think societies or communities do that?
However, in some countries such as France, where this is not legally punishable, homosexuals live and feel for the most part the same fate as their counterparts in Africa. It s all about living their life in the closet, living their life in secret.They will always have to choose between coming out and “facing” society’s prejudices or keep hiding their sexuality to live peacefully.
He never takes a taxi if he doesn’t know the driver. It is unthinkable for him to get on a bus. He lives outside Dakar, the capital of Senegal, in a small village where he feels safer. Yet his house once was burnt down. Sometimes he is assaulted.
He doesn t want to hide he is gay but sometimes has to live on the run because of threats. Although he does not want anonymity, we cannot publish his name for fear of further endangering his life.
This is the life of a gay man in Senegal, where since 1966, any man or woman caught in an “act of homosexuality” or “acts against nature” between two people of the same sex, risks a prison sentence of up to five years.
What are the origins of homophobia in Africa? Where do the laws that punish same-sex relationships come from? South-African activist Khopotso Bodibe speaks to Youssef Belghmaidi, a Moroccan trans woman activist based in France, and Sheba Akpokli, an LGBTQI+ rights activist from Togo, about colonialism and its impact on sexual diversity and education.
Like this episode? Share your thoughts on how you have challenged your view on what it means to be a man using the hashtag #CryLikeaBoy. And if you are a French speaker, this podcast is also available in French: Dans la tête des hommes.
Hosted by Khopotso Bodibe; with original reporting and editing by Marta Moreiras in Dakar, Senegal; Naira Davlashyan, Marta Rodríguez Martínez and Lillo Montalto Monella in Lyon, and Lory Martinez in Paris, France; Clizia Sala in London, United Kingdom. Production Design by Studio Ochenta. Theme music by Gabriel Dalmasso. Music curation for this episode is by Natalia Oelsner. Graphic Design by Alexis