In recent weeks, a climate of fear has spread through LGBTQ+ communities in Dakar, Senegal. Longtime community members say the situation feels unlike anything they have experienced before.

Across the city, reports have emerged of arrests, raids, and growing public hostility toward people suspected of being LGBTQ+. Many now live with a constant fear that they could be the next person arrested, exposed, or attacked.

For some, that fear has already become reality.

A Climate of Fear

According to people on the ground, arrests increasingly involve the examination of personal mobile phones. Police use private conversations, messages, and contacts to identify and target others within the community.

In some cases, individuals’ HIV status has reportedly been exposed publicly after arrests, leading to humiliation and permanent stigma.

Even items associated with health and prevention have allegedly been used as justification to accuse someone of being gay. These include HIV medications, condoms, and lubricants. 

For many LGBTQ+ people in Dakar, daily life has become a constant calculation of risk.

A man appearing “too feminine” or different can draw attention. In certain situations, people have been beaten by members of the public before authorities even arrive. Community members sometimes find themselves hoping police intervene, not out of trust, but because mob violence can be even more brutal.

Right now, many LGBTQ+ individuals say they feel that nowhere is safe in Dakar.

Forced to Flee

As fear grows, people make the difficult decision to flee.

Many travel to neighboring countries such as The Gambia in search of safety even though same-sex relationships are also criminalized there. Often, they arrive with no plan, no connections, and no resources.

Recently, a friend of a community contact reached out to ask for help. Their close friend had been arrested, and they feared the authorities would search the person’s phone to identify others.

Knowing they could be next, they fled.

They crossed the border into a country they had never visited before, where they knew no one. For days they slept outside, unsure where to go or how to survive.

Thankfully, they had one phone number to call.

But most people do not.

Where Rainbow Haven Comes In

This is where Rainbow Haven steps in.

Rainbow Haven works to support LGBTQ+ individuals who are forced to flee persecution. For those who arrive with nothing, the organization provides basic but life-saving support: food, shelter, and a temporary place of safety.

Many of the people who reach out have left everything behind including family, homes, jobs, and communities.

Often they arrive exhausted, traumatized, and uncertain about their future.

The goal of Rainbow Haven is simple: to ensure that people in crisis are not left completely alone.

Expanding Safe Spaces

The growing crisis in West Africa has made the need for safe spaces even more urgent.

Rainbow Haven currently operates safe houses in Senegal and Kenya and is working to expand support networks across the region. Plans are underway to establish additional safe houses in countries such as The Gambia and Morocco, i.e., locations where displaced LGBTQ+ individuals travel in search of refuge.

These spaces are not publicly disclosed for security reasons, but their impact is profound. For many people arriving after days of fear and uncertainty, simply having a door that opens to safety can mean everything.

Standing Together

The situation unfolding in Dakar is a reminder that progress for LGBTQ+ rights is not guaranteed. In many places, people continue to face violence, discrimination, and criminalization simply for being who they are.

Rainbow Haven believes no one should have to face that reality alone.

Right now, the organization is seeking motivated individuals and partners who want to help build safe spaces for those fleeing persecution. Whether through volunteering, advocacy, or financial support, there are many ways to help expand this life-saving work.