FILE- in this Oct. 2013 file photo, Alhaji,who fled Gambia after being beaten, tried, and persecuted for being gay, poses for a picture in front of the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Senegal. Defending gay rights can be dangerous in Africa, where many countries have laws against homosexuality. But activists in recent years stepped out of the shadows, empowered by the support of the Obama administration and the international community. Now many fear the Trump administration will undermine those gains, and that their exposure could make them more vulnerable. (AP Photo/Jane Hahn, file)
The Associated Press
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - Defending LGBT rights can be dangerous in Africa, where many countries have laws against homosexuality. But activists in recent years have stepped out of the shadows, empowered by the support of the Obama administration and the international community.
Now many fear the Trump administration will undermine those gains, and that their exposure could make them more vulnerable if support fades.
Obama's administration made LGBT rights a major domestic and foreign policy, though some in Africa saw it as pushing "Western ideals." The Obama administration also created a special envoy position on LGBT rights. The Trump administration has said it will keep the post, but concerns remain.
Amnesty International reports that sex acts are illegal in more than 33 African countries.
FILE- in this Oct. 2013 file photo, Alhaji,who fled Gambia after being beaten, tried, and persecuted for being gay, poses for a picture in Dakar, Senegal. Defending gay rights can be dangerous in Africa, where many countries have laws against homosexuality. But activists in recent years stepped out of the shadows, empowered by the support of the Obama administration and the international community. Now many fear the Trump administration will undermine those gains, and that their exposure could make them more vulnerable. (AP Photo/Jane Hahn, file)
The Associated Press