Diadji Diouf

Diadji Diouf is an LGBTQ+ activist and the head of AIDES Senegal. This organization provides HIV prevention services to homosexual men in Senegal, a country that has strict anti-gay laws. In December of 2008, Diadji, along with 9 other men, were arrested and charged with “establishing an illegal organization” and “committing acts against the order of nature” and sentenced to eight years in jail. The men were released in 2009 largely due to pressure placed on the government by international organizations, which, while fortunate, was also problematic. The intense media coverage surrounding Diadji’s case made him the target of abuse and discrimination.

Despite dangerous circumstances, Diadji uses his visibility and status as one of the country’s only openly gay leaders to continue to fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Senegal and throughout the African continent.