When loving in Africa costs you your life

Abstract

The true case of Marianna, a lesbian from Senegal requesting asylum in Brussels, Belgium, is the key of this article that revolves around styles of persecution specifically of homosexual women and the reasons for their invisibility. The study deals specifically with female genital mutilation inflicted in aggravation of lesbo-phobia and in the analysis of the patriarchal symbolism that this practice entails and which leads to its perpetuation even today. An exploration is also done of the data about lack of systemization in reporting this practice as a means of control of lesbianism and the consequences this impunity has on women who must flee from their countries of origin seeking refuge. The investigation is part of the project of Community Art titled When loving in Africa costs you your life (2011) created by Toxic Lesbian.

Keywords
lesbian; asylum; Female Genital Mutilation; migrations; community art