The parliament of Burkina Faso enacts legislation prohibiting LGBTQ activities

Burkina Faso’s justice minister said that the country’s transitional parliament passed laws that make it illegal to do things that are seen as supporting LGBTQ rights. People who are found guilty will face fines, jail time, and other punishments.

Burkina Faso is the latest African country to make it illegal to be bisexual, gay, lesbian, or transgender. The Persons and Family Code law also makes it harder for people to get citizenship or be stateless.

After a coup in 2022, the military took over Burkina Faso and has become less tolerant of criticism as violence from Islamist militants has grown in the West African country.

The 71-member unelected interim parliament passed the law unanimously on Monday. It now needs to be signed by Ibrahim Traore, the leader of the military junta.

“The law calls for a fine and a prison sentence of two to five years,” Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala said on state TV on Monday night.

“A person who (engages in) homosexual practices … will appear before a judge and, in the event of a repeat offence, be deported if you are not a Burkinabe national,” he added.

The government says the law is meant to bring family law up to date and make nationality rules clearer. However, rights activists are expected to point out that it limits LGBTQ practices and legal options in nationality cases.

Some conservative African countries, like Senegal, Uganda, and Malawi, have rules that make it illegal to be gay. Other countries, like South Africa, Botswana, and Angola, have decriminalized LGBTQ activities or put in place safety measures.