Sadly, this is true. However, this didn't sit well with great part of the population as reported by this other source.

This bill thus appears as a dividing line between two visions of Burkinabe society: one attached to the preservation of ancestral cultural references, the other turned towards greater openness and diversity of lifestyles.

This is a fight that the Burkinabe diaspora and the non-conservative/non-religious have to do to change this. I have plenty of hope that Grasroot orgs are already fighting this bill in Burkina Faso.

This puts the critical in critical support. Bad move Burkina Faso, bad move.

When a society is subject to imperialism, it is unable to resolve precolonial contradictions (ie patriarchal formations). Beliefs and practices discarded by European societies unfettered by imperialism are still present for this reason. Furthermore, colonized societies will desperately hold onto every aspect of the old society in order to resist the repression and erasure of colonialism. This unfortunately results in “backwards” practices resurging. While this incredibly harmful policy must be criticized, it cannot be grounds to dismiss the burkinabe project because traore’s junta fights the very system that impedes the progression of burkinabe society.

There are grounds to say, I think, that if Burkina Faso manages to liberate itself from its colonial shackles, that like Cuba, with time this error will be corrected.

It is a big fucking error and disappointment, though.

Huge fucking L if true, maybe Cuba can talk them around

This is the direct consequence of pinkwashing imperialism & colonialism.

Yeah, that's not unexpected when there are gay colonizers in France. The same phenomenon occurs in West Asia because of Israel. It's the dialectic, the decolonial struggle adopts antithetical forms that reject the cultural imperialism of the colonizer.

This isn't permanent, but in this early phase of the struggle they're just going to do the antithesis of whatever France does.

...speaking of Israel, does France blackmail sexual minorities into being collaborators?

Disappointing. Being queer has always been a part of human experience, especially so in pre-colonial Africa

Alright, I found it on RTB's website. It's part of the (french language) 8pm news broadcast from yesterday: https://www.rtb.bf/2025/09/01/jt-de-20h-du-1er-septembre-2025/, starting at 16:06 timestamp. This is the new law I was discussing in the other comment, you can read the draft from last year here (use a translation tool if needed). The segment ends at 21:10.

This is an update to the previous family code law in BF, named Zatu and promulgated in 1989 (after the coup that killed Sankara). It made no mention of homosexuality in it (this is the 1989 law).

The new law has been adopted unanimously at the burkinabè parliament by 71 votes. it's a comprehensive law project that contains more than 1113 articles, it's not solely about LGBT rights like france24 is implying, although the news host did mention it and made a point that this new law was about "reflecting the socio-cultural reality of BF". The Justice Minister's speech after the vote was broadcast and he mentions the article quite late into it, first talking about family name and naturalization reforms. He also doesn't spend a lot of time on that particular point relative to the rest (at least in the segment), but he does call homosexuality a 'strange practice', and this is somewhat echoed by the reported on the footage.

there’s zero reason to be doing anything like this

its one thing if the country already has these regressive laws and the material conditions arent in a place where they can prioritize changing them. but to create these laws at this moment in time? terrible move

Extremely disappointing. As others have said, hopefully they go the way of Cuba and correct this dramatic error.

As I first saw that I didnt believe it because traore seemed to have outlawed homosexuality at least 3 times a month, according to social media and media generally.

But thats actually true :c

Massive L if true but I can't find any anti-imperialist media reporting this. The way the imperialists have been frothing at the mouth and gunning for BF I can't trust anything western media say.

I have done some looking RTB's website for the supposed statements by Justice Minister Edasso Rodrigue Bayala but my very limited french comprehension is not getting me very far.

I haven't read enough therefore I have no right to speak. But I'm gonna ask, is this similar to how post-socialist eastern European countries got filled with reactionaries? Because imperialist nations are like vultures and will fund whatever vile forces of reaction to ensure oppressed nations never have coherent power. Like the strategy imperialist nations took against the Balkans too.

So after the 1980s did imperialist nations fill Burkina Faso with reactionary forces to destabilize it? And this new law is a long term symptom?

It's typical of French media that they focus on cherrypicking only the bad out of a much larger bill. Their reporting on Burkina Faso, as usual, is highly biased and designed to undermine the image of the Traoré government. If they didn't find something negative they wouldn't report at all.

Still... It is going to be very sad if this really ends up being included in the law. Unnecessary and counterproductive. Huge own goal. Not a strategically smart move as it harms the ability for supporters of the revolutions in the Sahel to counter western accusations.

I'm not mad, Burkina, i'm just disappointed... 😞

From hero to zero.

I'm not trying to downplay this or anything, but didn't they do this a while ago? I thought this was passed a few months ago at least? I'm confused

The source is France24. I wouldnt trust it.