NIGER - Muslem organisations block campaign to fight aids (2000): AIDS experts say that in 1994, when the government launched a five-year plan to fight the disease, Islamic associations expressed their hostility towards awareness campaigns. Islamic members would often disrupt seminars and conferences on the issue, while prostitutes-considered by Islamists as vectors of the virus-were subjected to severe, punitive measures. And those responsible for campaigns promoting condom use often received death threats by Muslem extremists. "We are always fearful of reprisals from Islamists and therefore do not dare to go out in the field," said Nabirni Mahamadou, an AIDS educator with the aid organisation "How to better live with AIDS." Under pressure from Muslem organisations, radio and television stations have been forced to stop broadcasting messages promoting condom use, while all public displays such as billboards or posters are no longer visible in the capital.. - First national epidemiological survey of HIV infection among target groups in Niger in 2002.

L’exclusion au nom des moeurs tabous! (2002, Translation): Au Niger, les homosexuels ne se sont jamais manifestés pour revendiquer leurs droits. Deux ou trois associations gays fonctionnent sans qu'on sache où ellessont implantées. Selon M. Soumana Huséini, secrétaire aux relations extérieures de l'Association nigérienne de défense des droits de l'Homme (ANDDH), "les homosexuels ne doivent pas faire l'objet d'exclusion. S'ils agissent dans le cadre des lois de la République, notre rôle est de les défendre même si cela doit nous coûter la vie. Mais encore faudrait-il qu'ils sortent de l'anonymat pour se faire connaître et revendiquer leurs droits". Le Niger est un pays pourtant "tolérant", comment expliquer l'invisibilité de la communauté gay ? M. Husséini avoue : "les homosexuels vivent cachés, comme les personnes atteintes du VIH/SIDA. Ils ne veulent pas qu'on sache qu'ils sont homosexuels parce que c'est quelque chose de tabou et culturellement non accepté".

Peace Corps Online (2006):  I served in the Peace Corps in Niger also... The greatest medical problem when I was there in the 1980's among peace corps members was STD's. Sexually transmitted diseases. I came home clean because I was totally celibate during my time in Niger. Homosexual relations between incountry staff and new arrivals was obvious and not covered up. - Rainbow fund seeks relief for Niger: One LGBT organization that is doing its part to rise to the challenge of the UN's appeal for relief is Rainbow World Fund, a Bay Area nonprofit that seeks to raise public consciousness of the people's plight in Niger. Jeffrey Cotter, executive director, explained, "Our own struggle with HIV/AIDS and civil rights has taught us of the power of visibility and coming together to help each other." RWF's mission is to promote LGBT philanthropy for global relief and humanitarian service. In addition to helping people, the organization's charitable efforts serve to build with other oppressed groups, to advocate for a greater global understanding of the LGBT community, and also to educate the LGBT community about world issues..

Sexuality and Gender Roles in Niger (2003):  When I asked my host mother about Amadou (to determine which gender pronoun in Hausa was most appropriate, and to gain any insights on his/her gender bending), she answered in hushed tones that Amadou’s “manhood” had been lost. She said spirits had taken away his potency. Others whispered that too many drugs were the cause of his forsaken masculinity. Regardless of the reasons, I realized that Amadou’s dressing and performing as a woman was not a real choice. The binary sexual norms of his culture did not allow for a continuum of gender expression. Thus, societal pressures dictated that no matter who he really was - perhaps impotent, perhaps gay, perhaps transgender - he would feel and be treated as an outcast. My host mother also mentioned that Amadou often became very sad, especially when no one was looking. Sometimes in the wider world, where (just like Niger) people become unwilling prisoners to societal expectations of gender and sexuality, I, too, become very sad. - It's Survival of Cutest for Africa's Wodabe Men (2004, Alternate Link).

Resources: - Behind the Mask - A Web Site on Gay and Lesbian Affairs in Africa. - Africa by Country: Niger. Niger Archive.  - African Veil: Countries Covered: Niger. - Queer afrol. - Afrol News; Gay/Lesbian Archives. - theGully.com news & Articles: Africa.

Global Gayz: Africa: Niger News Reports From 2002 to the Present. - ILGA: Africa: Niger. - LGBT rights in Niger. - Sodomy Laws. - Human Rights Watch: Use Search Function. - Amnesty International: Use Search Function. - Pink News: Europe's Largest Gay News Service: Africa. - AsylumLaw.Org: Sexual Minorities & HIV Status: Documents / Reports / Website Links / Organizations. Niger Individual Documents Since 2000. - Links to News Sources for GLBT World.

MSMGF News Articles & Documents Resources. By Region & Country:  - Sub-Saharan Africa: - Niger.

BURKINA FASO - Coming Out in Burkina Faso: "Eventually, he introduced me to the entire Gay community of Burkina Faso: about twelve guys." - The (Unexpected) Men in My Life (2001, Peace Corps Volunteer, Burkina Faso): "As all the brochures promised, people here do, at least verbally, abhor the very notion of homosexuality. And yet, homosexual acts are taking place in mud huts (and health centers) across the country at this very moment. Boys will be boys. Shame on me for every doubting, eh? Intriguingly enough, each ethnic group has a unique, mostly unspoken code dictating which acts fall short of the feared homosexual dividing line. Draga  boys indulge in mutual masturbation, while the Bissa have a strict above-the-waist rule. Men in the Gulimance district are very hands-oriented and prone to kissing, and pretty much anything goes for the chancy, lucky Mossi, the nation’s ferocious, predominant ethnicity (Related Information). - Gay Burkina - Le Burkina Gay (2010, Video). - «Le retour d'Abdou», ou la difficulté d'être gay au Burkina Faso (2010, Translation).

HRBA and the Rights  LGBT Persons in Burkina Faso (2011): This brief aims at providing Sida country teams with brief information on the situation of LGBT persons in Burkina Faso as well as concrete advice on how LGBT issues can be included in dialogue and programming...  During the last few years, LGBT persons in Burkina Faso have begun to come out publicly in the media. This has created debates on the topic that have shown a reluctant and homophobic attitude among the public. However, the media space that the question has received has by some been interpreted as a sign of a loosening of the taboo surrounding the issue of homosexuality. Aggressive statements against homosexuality in Burkina Faso come mostly from religious leaders. Statements in public media forums opposing the human rights of LGBT persons have been based on religious motivations and the idea of homosexuality being “unafrican”... In countries where the legislation does not recognise LGBT rights, people usually live and act in secrecy, which is an obstacle to organised human rights work. In Burkina Faso there is an LGBT group called LAMBDA. Due to fear of persecution from the authorities it is not registered as an LGBT organisation, but as an organisation that works ‘for protection of marginalised and estranged individuals’. LAMBDA’s activities include work against HIV/Aids and support to marginalised and discriminated people such as homosexuals and transgender persons. The main challenge for the LGBT community in Burkina Faso is the attitudes of the general public. LAMBDA is primarily working with counselling and support, helping people to deal with senses of guilt (caused by the stigma from the rest of the society)...

Homosexuality now debated all over Africa (2006, Alternate Link): The South African decision to legalise same-sex marriages has caught much of Africa by surprise.... In Burkina Faso, far, far away from South Africa, the nation's first encounter with the issue was more accidental. A Burkinabe living in France told about his homosexuality on 'TV5', criticising double moral standards in his home country. The interview got picked up by the press in Burkina Faso, advising that the issue was loosing from its inherent taboos. In the latest issue of 'Bendré', Burkina Faso's leading independent weekly, journalist Jean-Paul Bamogo goes into a larger discussion about homosexuality based on the new South African legislation. In his article "Homosexuality - evolution or regression", he presents - in decent manners of course - the history of homosexuality from male sex preferring Socrates to the "at least 800,000" homosexuals killed in Nazi Germany's concentration camps. Recognising that homosexuality is a reality in Burkina Faso, he however warns that many gays, means society will not reproduce. Also 'Le Pays', a leading privately-owned Burkinabe daily, last week philosophised whether South Africa's gay marriage law was "luxury or a necessity" and whether one could still call South Africa an African country. The rather balanced article brought few conclusions, except one: "One thing is sure, Africa cannot anymore close its eyes on the phenomenon of homosexuality." While calling the new marriage law "superfluous and premature," 'Le Pays' demonstrated admiration of South Africa's development and indignation over a recent "homophobia campaign" in Cameroon.

Niang CI, et al. Edited by Kees Kostermans and Aissatou Diack (2004). Targeting Vulnerable Groups in National HIV/AIDS Programs: The Case of Men Who Have Sex with Men: Senegal, Burkina Faso, The Gambia. Africa Region Human Development Working Paper Series. PDF Download. All local languages differentiate between "penetrating" and "receptive" MSM identities ("tops" and "bottoms"); ... The terms most frequently used to identify MSM describe those men who are perceived to occupy the receptive position in sexual relations. Those terms usually designate parts of the body, physical traits or mannerisms usually associated with the female gender... Terms used to designate receptive males usually do not apply to penetrating males. In Wolof. the term goor jigen would not describe the penetrating partner. He may sometimes be called faaru goor jigen, literally meaning “lover of a man-woman.” That term refers more to the relationship than to his ontological identity. The receptive goor jigen is defined essentially as a man-woman, whereas his partner is characterized viewed as masculine. The researchers did not find terms that encompassed both the concept of receptive and penetrating partner in any of the local languages. Understanding the distinction between these identities is essential in formulating messages that specifically target each identity... In several communities in Senegal, the Gambia and Burkina Faso, a male-to-male sexual relationship is considered a highly personal and private affair that requires the highest level of protection, privacy, discretion and "veil." ... "Everyone knows that such person has sexual relationship with another person of the same sex but no one would openly mention it." ... In Burkina Faso and the Gambia, data suggest in most cases that families tend to ignore an MSM family member. Even when family members heard about incidents, they would continue to feign ignorance until confronted by tangible and irrefutable proof. But, when such proof surfaces, the MSM’s family becomes the first source of homophobic violence. The level of violence is equated with the degree to which the family views its honor as having been disgraced by the behavior of one of its members. In Burkina Faso, reports exist of MSM having been beaten, publicly disrobed or otherwise humiliated by members of their own families. One informant revealed: "Someone sent an anonymous letter to my mother telling her that I was prostituting myself to men. My own mother threatened to kill me with her own hands to preserve the  honor of the family if it turned out to be true."

Burkina Faso : Key actors against Hiv sensitized on MSM issues (2011): Aware of the lack of knowledge and understanding of the rights of men who have sex with other men (MSM) regarding access to health care, Reseau Africain de Formations sur le VIH/SIDA (the African Network of Training on HIV and Aids) RAF-VIH, conducted a workshop on 14 to 18 April 2011 in Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, to sensitize key actors in the fight against the disease and to improve their involvement and skills to better work with MSM..

Thee Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso (east of Nigeria and north of Ghana): The "gatekeeper" 'gay' concept embodying a "save the world" role- an interview with Malidoma Somé, author of the book, Ritual: Power Healing and Community. - Homosexuality: The Gatekeepers. - (Related Information 1, 2) - Information about female homosexuality in the Dagara tribe obtained from the book, The Spirit of Intimacy by Sobanfu Somé. - Information about the Dagara tribes.-   Welcome to The Great Debate on Homosexuality in The Black Community. - Stolen Heritage: Reclaiming Our Birthright. - Wisdom from West Africa.

La question de l'homosexualité chez les Lyéla (1997, Translation). - The Africa Question: Did They or Didn't They? - Philippe Gosselin hides his sexual identity to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso. (Alternate Link). - Situation analysis of prostitution in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso and vulnerability of the sex workers in the context of the HIV epidemic (1998). - Men who have sex with men in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and The Gambia: The multi-country HIV/AIDS program approach. (2004).

Homosexuality now debated all over Africa: (3006, Alternate Link) In Burkina Faso, far, far away from South Africa, the nation's first encounter with the issue was more accidental. A Burkinabe living in France told about his homosexuality on 'TV5', criticising double moral standards in his home country. The interview got picked up by the press in Burkina Faso, advising that the issue was loosing from its inherent taboos. In the latest issue of 'Bendré', Burkina Faso's leading independent weekly, journalist Jean-Paul Bamogo goes into a larger discussion about homosexuality based on the new South African legislation... Also 'Le Pays', a leading privately-owned Burkinabe daily, last week philosophised whether South Africa's gay marriage law was "luxury or a necessity" and whether one could still call South Africa an African country. The rather balanced article brought few conclusions, except one: "One thing is sure, Africa cannot anymore close its eyes on the phenomenon of homosexuality." While calling the new marriage law "superfluous and premature," 'Le Pays' demonstrated admiration of South Africa's development and indignation over a recent "homophobia campaign" in Cameroon.

Men who have sex with men in Burkina Faso, Senegal, and The Gambia: The multi-country HIVAIDS program approach: (2004, Alternate Link) "This paper summarizes issues involved in reaching MSM, and recommends strategies for meeting the needs of this target group in the three countries. The paper outlines knowledge gaps about HIV/AIDS and VCT services among MSM, and provides suggestions on how to address these problems. The paper also describes the main features and lessons learned from prevention and treatment programs serving MSM, and lists experts and institutions in the public and private sectors working or interested in the target group. Conclusions: MAP increased access to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, support, and treatment programs with vulnerable and at risk groups, especially MSM and boys and men who have sex with men in exchange for money or gifts."

Pas facile d'être homosexuel au Burkina Faso (2010, Translation): La réalisatrice du court-métrage "Le retour d'Abdou" raconte ses difficultés depuis le tournage du film. Il s'appelle Abdou et revient voir sa famille au Burkina Faso. Mais chez lui, quelque chose a changé: Abdou arbore maintenant maquillage, vernis à ongles et vêtements de femmes. Son père, imam, ne l'entend pas de cette oreille. - «Le retour d'Abdou», ou la difficulté d'être gay au Burkina Faso (2010, Translation): Lorsqu'Abdou revient au Burkina Faso après une longue absence, il porte un top et un jean moulants, des bijoux, du maquillage, du vernis à ongles… Ce qui rend fou de rage son père, qui est imam. Zi-Yaanbo («se donner un surplus de liberté», en mooré), sous-titré Le retour d'Abdou, est le premier film de Sophie Kaboré. Elle veut montrer à travers ce court-métrage la difficulté d'être gay dans ce pays d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Pour le réaliser, cette réalisatrice autodidacte de 29 ans installée à Ouagadougou, la capitale burkinabè, a pris elle-même un risque. Faute de financement, le court-métrage n'est diffusé que sur Dailymotion et YouTube, en attendant de trouver des moyens supplémentaires. Elle raconte à TÊTU ses difficultés pour monter son film et faire connaître le calvaire de ses compatriotes homosexuels. Car si elle n'est pas pénalement réprimée, l'homosexualité est très stigmatisée au Burkina Faso, comme on le voit dans son film...

Behind the Mask - A Web Site on Gay and Lesbian Affairs in Africa. - Africa by Country: Burkina Faso Information. Burkina Faso Archive. - African Veil: Countries Covered: Burkina Faso. - Queer afrol. - Afrol News; Gay/Lesbian Archives. - theGully.com news & Articles: Africa. 

Global Gayz: Africa: Burkina Faso News Reports from 2002 to the Present. - ILGA: Africa: Burkina Faso. - LGBT rights in Burkina Faso. - Sodomy Laws. - Human Rights Watch: Use Search Function. - Amnesty International: Use Search Function. - Pink News: Europe's Largest Gay News Service: Africa. - AsylumLaw.Org: Sexual Minorities & HIV Status: Documents / Reports / Website Links / Organizations. Burkina Faso Individual Documents since 2005. - Links to News Sources for GLBT World.

MSMGF News Articles & Documents Resources. By Region & Country:  - Sub-Saharan Africa: - Burkina Faso.