Senegal Parliament Approves Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

The National Assembly of Senegal has unanimously (with 129 votes in favor) approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage exclusively as a “union between a man and a woman,” reports Erasing 76 Crimes.

Prior to this amendment, Article 17 of the Senegalese Constitution stated that marriage and the family are the “natural and moral foundation of society,” without specifying the gender of the spouses.

During the debate on the changes, MP Diaraye Ba stated: “Homosexuals will no longer be able to breathe in this country. Homosexuals will no longer have freedom of expression in this country.”

Earlier, in the spring of 2026, Senegalese authorities tightened the Penal Code: the maximum prison sentence for homosexual acts was increased to 10 years, and heavy fines for same-sex relationships were also introduced.