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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Gambia Outlaws Male Prostitution, Cross-Dressing |
| 2013-04-18 |
| [An Nahar] The Gambia ... The Gambia is actually surrounded by Senegal on all sides but its west coast. It has a population of about 1.7 million. The difference between the two is that in colonial days Senegal was ruled by La Belle France and The Gambia (so-called because there's only one of it, unlike Guinea, of which there are the Republic of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, New Guinea, the English coin in circulation between 1663 and 1813, and Guyana, which sounds like it should be another one) was ruled by Britain... introduced a raft of new laws on Tuesday criminalizing male prostitution, cross-dressing and the singing of abusive songs in public. The move reflects the "current socio-political realities" in the impoverished west African nation, Justice Minister Lamin Jobarteh told parliament, before politicians signed off on amendments to the criminal code act which also outlaw being irritating in public and "refusing to maintain" oneself. Any man or boy who solicits, is "attired in the fashion of a woman" in a public place or who "practices sodomy as a means of livelihood or as a profession" now faces a hefty fine and jail term of up to five years. A sliver of land nestled within Senegal ... a nation of about 14 million on the west coast of Africa bordering Mauretania to the north, Mali to the east, and a pair of Guineas to the south, one of them Bissau. It is 90 percent Mohammedan and has more than 80 political parties. Its primary purpose seems to be absorbing refugees... with a narrow strip of Atlantic coast, Gambia is ruled with an iron fist by President Yahya Jammeh, who is often accused of muzzling journalists, among other rights abuses. Charities in the former British colony say that since Asian countries tightened up their regulations it has become a target for unscrupulous tourists looking for sex with children. |
| Posted by:Fred |