France

Rwanda, Burundi, Ouganda: être gay au cœur du continent africain

For over a year, Frédéric Noy documents the daily life of African homosexuals, gays, lesbians and transsexuals, in three countries in the heart of Africa: Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, three countries where the situation is very different: – In Rwanda, homosexuality is not criminalized and authorized – In Burundi, the penalty in case of flagrante delicto homosexual act is 5 years imprisonment and a fine – Uganda, just a denunciation to risk life in prison. That’s the legal aspect. But African homosexuals also fight in their life every day against what is one of the most entrenched taboos of African society in all countries. Their families, friends reject or refuse to see reality in the face. They are victims of all sorts of physical and psychological violence, the first is the denial of their right to exist as they are.

It is very delicate work, requiring weeks of approach before people accept the presence of the photographer. But if they do, they have decided to fight for their rights: they refuse to resign themselves to live in fear and hidden.