- Homosexuality
- ⚢✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
- Gay Marriage
- ⚭✖ Banned
- Censorship
- ✖ Imprisonment as punishment
- Changing Gender
- ✖ Illegal
- Gender-Affirming Care
- ✖ Banned
- Non-Binary Gender Recognition
- ✖ Not legally recognized
- Hate Crime Protections
- ✖ No protections
- Discrimination
- ✖ Illegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination
- ✖ No protections
- Adoption
- ✖ Single only
- Intersex Infant Surgery
- ✖ Not banned
- Military
- ✖ Illegal
- Donating Blood
- ✔ Legal
- Conversion Therapy
- ✖ Not banned
- Age of Consent
- N/A
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Public Opinion
According to recent survey data, underlying homophobic beliefs appear to be highly prevalent in Senegal, signaling a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people.
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SUPPORT
History
Homosexual activity in Senegal is illegal (imprisonment as punishment).
Current status
Since Feb 1, 1966
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Article 319 of the Senegal's 1966 Penal Code states "Without prejudice to the more serious penalties provided for in the preceding paragraphs or by articles 320 and 321 of this Code, whoever will have committed an improper or unnatural act with a person of the same sex will be punished by imprisonment of between one and five years and by a fine of 100,000 to 1,500,000 francs. If the act was committed with a person below the age of 21, the maximum penalty will always be applied."
In 2026, this was increased to 10 years in prison.
In 2026, this was increased to 10 years in prison.
Same-sex marriage in Senegal is banned.
Current status
Since Jan 17, 1989
Banned
Article 101 of Senegal's Family Code states: "An engagement is a solemn agreement by which a man and a woman promise marriage to each other." This explicitly defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Censorship of LGBT issues in Senegal is imprisonment as punishment.
Current status
Since Jul 21, 1965
Imprisonment as punishment federal law
Under Article 256 of Senegal’s Penal Code, anyone involved in manufacturing, holding, importing, exporting, displaying, selling, renting, offering, or distributing materials "contrary to good morals" may face imprisonment of up to two years or fines. Although ideology on which things are moral and which things are immoral vary by person, because homosexuality and gender change are illegal in Senegal and viewed as immoral, Article 256 can be used against pride flags, lgbt organizations, etc.
In 2026, Senegal approved an amendment to its law which explicitly criminalises the promotion of LGBTIQ+ topics and acceptance with up to seven years in prison.
In 2026, Senegal approved an amendment to its law which explicitly criminalises the promotion of LGBTIQ+ topics and acceptance with up to seven years in prison.
Right to change legal gender in Senegal is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
There are no laws in place for a change of a person’s gender marker in Senegal.
Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Senegal is not legally recognized.
Current status
Not legally recognized federal law
There is no legal gender recognition provided to nonbinary or intersex people in Senegal.
Hate crime protections in Senegal is no protections.
Current status
No protections
Senegal does not provide hate crime protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
LGBT discrimination in Senegal is illegal in some contexts.
Current status
Since 2008
Illegal in some contexts federal law
Some protections based on sexual orientation.
Article 18 of Law 2017-27 on the Press Code states that "Journalists and media technicians must respect human dignity and avoid any allusion, through text, images, and sound, to a person's ethnic or national affiliation, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, as well as to any physical or mental illness or disability that may be discriminatory and/or stigmatizing.
Article 431-24 of the Penal Code (Law on Cybercrime 2008) states that
Anyone who places or stores on a computer medium or memory, without the express consent of the person concerned, personal data that, directly or indirectly, reveals the person's sexual orientation, shall be punished by imprisonment of one to seven years and a fine.
Article 18 of Law 2017-27 on the Press Code states that "Journalists and media technicians must respect human dignity and avoid any allusion, through text, images, and sound, to a person's ethnic or national affiliation, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, as well as to any physical or mental illness or disability that may be discriminatory and/or stigmatizing.
Article 431-24 of the Penal Code (Law on Cybercrime 2008) states that
Anyone who places or stores on a computer medium or memory, without the express consent of the person concerned, personal data that, directly or indirectly, reveals the person's sexual orientation, shall be punished by imprisonment of one to seven years and a fine.
LGBT employment discrimination in Senegal is no protections.
Current status
No protections
The Labor Code (1997) does not protect LGBT people from discrimination.
LGBT housing discrimination in Senegal is no protections.
Current status
No protections
In Senegal, neither sexual orientation nor gender identity is a protected class from housing discrimination.
Same-sex adoption in Senegal is single only.
Current status
Single only
In Senegal, Same sex couples can't adopt but according to the Senegel Intercountry Adoption Information the requirements to adopt are:
Jointly by two married, unseparated spouses of different sex, where one or both spouses is at least 30 years old;
By one spouse, concerning the other spouse's child(ren);
By a person who is at least 35 years old.
Under this technicality a single LGBTIQA+ person can adopt as there no prohibition for it.
Jointly by two married, unseparated spouses of different sex, where one or both spouses is at least 30 years old;
By one spouse, concerning the other spouse's child(ren);
By a person who is at least 35 years old.
Under this technicality a single LGBTIQA+ person can adopt as there no prohibition for it.
Intersex infant surgery in Senegal is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
There is no ban on surgeries performed on intersex infants in Senegal.
Serving openly in military in Senegal is illegal.
Current status
Illegal
Homosexuality is illegal.
Blood donations by MSMs in Senegal is legal.
Current status
Legal
There is no ban on blood donations made by MSMs. While homosexuality is illegal in Senegal, this does not automatically make blood donations illegal for MSMs.
Conversion therapy in Senegal is not banned.
Current status
Not banned
Conversion therapy is not banned.
Equal age of consent in Senegal is n/a.
Current status
N/A
Homosexuality is illegal.
LGBT Rights by Region
View the LGBT laws in each individual region of Senegal.
Equality Rank
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#187 Qatar8
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#188 Eritrea7
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#189 Maldives7
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#190 Senegal6
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#191 Kuwait5
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#192 Iran5
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#193 Gambia3
#118
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Senegal LGBT Organizations
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Common queries:
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Alternative names: Sénégal/Sounougal (local name)
