"Persecuted in Africa, Seeking Refuge in New York"

In this article, written by Kirk Semple and Lydia Polgreen, explain how a Senegalese man was given refugee status in the United States.  This man, named Pape Mbaye, could not stand living in his country of Senegal any longer because he was just too scared to stay. Semple and Polgreen explain his situation, "he was harassed by the police, attacked by armed mobs, driven from his home, maligned in the national media and force to live on the run across West Africa."  He definitely had a rough life in Africa and was filled with terrors that I couldn't imagine.  You might be asking why did this happen to him? It was because of his sexual orientation.  Being gay in Senegal is highly frowned upon.  The reason Pape had such a difficult time in his home country is because he didn't try and hide the fact that he is a gay man.  He chose to dress in the fashion he wanted to dress in and this was a main reason he was attacked.  It is a shame that a person can't live his life the way he or she wishes to live it.  This is why he applied to become a refugee in America.  He is one of the few people that has been given refugee status because of persecution caused by sexual orientation.  The main reason for this is the fact that he had maintained a high social status in Africa as an entertainer.  Either way I believe a person should be granted refugee status if he or she is persecuted for a legitimate reason.  I think that the United States made the right decision on this situation.  If I were in their position I would have done the same thing.  Now Pape is living happily in New York.  

Written by: Kirk Semple and Lydia Polgreen 

The New York Times 

October 6, 2008