The reporters of Kossyderrickent have reached out to the NGO that provides shelter and food for members of LGBTQ in Benin Republic. The NGO, Hirondelle Club Benin told our reporters that the issue has been transferred to court to demand justice for the harassed and beaten transgenders/Cross dressers.
A few days ago, a video showing men at "Sunset bar" who stripped and beat up three transgenders in Cotonou, went viral on social media. According to the victims, who our reporters have finally reached out to, said they were setup by the men. One of the victims says the man who asked him out knew he was a transgender. He says:
"My man knew I was transgender and asked me to invite my transgender friends. When we arrived, he asked me to go outside.
Once we managed to get outside to help our friend, they began attacking the three of us. There were about 200 men there, and they forced us to strip naked while they laughed and filmed up. It was humiliating.”
When reporters of Kossyderrickent asked about their whereabouts, the other victim says the three of them ran to a shelter provided by an NGO, known as, Hirondelle Club Benin. He says:
"We ran away and found safety here, in this shelter. But when we woke up the next day, we knew that our lives were over. Within 24 hours, the whole nation had seen the videos, including our families and bosses. We’ll never be able to find a job again. Everyone here is against us. Even young children in the street have been point fingers at us."
NGO - Hirondelle Club Benin said: "We have referred this case to the prosecutor of the Cotonou court. We demand justice for these horrible and inhumane acts, and we will not give up until justice is served.
Every time there is an illness in Africa, people blame LGBTQ people. I heard a woman outside the shelter say that to get rid of Covid-19, we needed to eliminate all homosexuals. People weren't very tolerant before, but now we are facing a true crisis. It is a very dangerous situation for LGBTQ people, but it is also dangerous for those supporting them. I am not afraid of death, it would be impossible for me to defend this cause if I were.
Many people in Africa think that trans-identity is a ‘western’ concept and that such practices did not exist in the continent until white men imported it. This is a myth, transgender people have always existed. It is something that is natural. The continent is very behind in terms of educating people about what it means to be an LGBTQ person. This needs to change."
According to another report from our reporters has it that another NGO, known as, Afrique Occident Solidaire has negotiated with Facebook to take down the video of the three cross dressers who were stripped naked and beaten at Sunset bar.
Video below:
Nous venons dénoncer une fois encore une énième agression contre les personnes LGBTQI au Bénin à quelques jours de la célébration du 17 Mai.Nous condamnons ces actes avec la dernière rigueur.Nous vous reviendrons pour plus de détails. @EgidesAlliance @FrontlinDefend @ISDAOSankofa pic.twitter.com/CoPQ80HSzC
— Hirondelle Club Benin (@HirondelleBenin) May 1, 2021
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