Sexual Minorities - Men who have Sex with Men1, Transgender2 and Lesbian3 Women in Côte d'Ivoire: Between Life Paths and Hesitations in the Process of Constructing Gender Identity

Abstract

The construction and acceptance of the identity or sexual orientation of sexual minorities by society and the individual are realities that are constantly in crisis. This reality is all the more perceptible in societies where minorities are strongly discriminated against as a result of certain social considerations. In Côte d'Ivoire, the legal vacuum on the issue of sexual minorities leaves them prey to practices that are sometimes demeaning to certain members of the community. This article provides an insight into the lives of some of Côte d'Ivoire's sexual minorities (MSM, TG and Lesbian) and the hesitations that mark the construction of their gender identity. Based on a qualitative approach with four (04) leaders of the LGBTQ+ community on the one hand, and referring to social identity theory on the other, it emerges that the construction process is discontinuous or disjointed due to hesitations created by internal and external factors. Internally, the individual's decisions or choices help to create hesitations or set up these situations. From an external point of view, the family or social context and certain discriminatory behaviours with regard to the sexual orientation of individuals have a strong influence on the acceptance and definition of a gender identity within this category of the population.