Côte d'Ivoire: LGBTQ+ community is legally but not socially accepted
LGBTQ+ individuals from neighboring countries seek refuge in Côte d'Ivoire
Originally published on Global Voices
Abidjan, economic capital of Côte d'Ivoire. Screenshot from the video “Découvrez ABIDJAN : La Capitale économique de la CÔTE D'IVOIRE | 10 FAITS INTÉRESSANTS” on the Afrique Révélée YouTube Channel. Fair use.
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:
L’État ivoirien est neutre sur la question. Ce vide juridique permet à la communauté queer ici de bénéficier d’une relative tolérance par rapport aux pays voisins.
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.
A Conakry, je me suis fait agresser physiquement plusieurs fois et sexuellement trois fois. A Dakar, les mêmes choses ont recommencé. A Bamako, je me suis fait poignarder, je n’osais même plus sortir le jour. A Ouagadougou, quand mes voisins ont découvert que j’étais gay, ils m’ont chassé du quartier. Ici, je peux sortir maquillé et faire la fête en talons.
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 est le melting-pot queer de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Mais les LGBT+ restent rejetés par une large partie de la population. Les violences et agressions sont fréquentes, en particulier envers les femmes transgenres.
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:
Le terme “woubi”, popularisé dans la culture locale, désigne des jeunes hommes qui se distancient de la masculinité traditionnelle et s'identifient ouvertement comme homosexuels. Cette situation soulève de vives réactions, reflétant une opposition profonde dans la conscience collective ivoirienne face à ces orientations sexuelles non conformes aux normes établies par les coutumes locales.
“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:
Un woubi très en colère. Hé ma copine woubi c’est arrivé là bas? Ko nous sommes frustrés! Yo la Côte d’Ivoire est devenu un pays de droit et de liberté pour les woubis. Le pouvoir est dans le woubisme. pic.twitter.com/GZfkY6bc2x
— Farafina Wamy (@FarafinaW) August 29, 2024
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:
CRISE MORALE EN CÔTE D'IVOIRE : APPEL URGENT DE #MAKOSSO À LA RESPONSABILITÉ RELIGIEUSE ET AU COURAGE FACE À LA DÉRIVE DES #WOUBIS#MAKOSSO
<<Le président @AOuattara_PRCI est musulman. Cela signifie que les premières personnes à pouvoir lui parler, ce sont vous, les… pic.twitter.com/ihcelanpOp
— TIDJANE THIAM National FANS (@TidjaneThiam225) August 30, 2024
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:
Les Woubis sont sans gêne. Vos cheveux même dépassent pour nos femmes. Certains même font le rang pour mettre de faux ongles. Chacun à son choix OK. Je ne suis personne pour juger OK. Mais respectez les valeurs de ce beau pays.
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:
Les vrais Woubis ne sont pas ceux qui dansent sur les réseaux sociaux. Les vrais sont cachés.
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:
est puni d’un emprisonnement d’un à cinq ans et d’une amende de 5 000 000 à 100 000 000 francs ( 8 412 à 168 248 dollars américains), quiconque profère ou émet toute expression outrageante, tout terme de mépris ou toute invective qui ne renferme l’implication d’aucun fait par le biais d’un système d’information.
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.