Because he is gay, Sheikh Diallo has been persecuted and threatened in Senegal, even from his own family. He fled to Munich, his story could be that of a successful integration – if it weren’t for the authorities.
Most of all, he would like to be accepted for who he is. Sheikh Diallo, 38, grew up in the Senegalese capital Dakar, is many things: the son of an imam, a trained upholsterer, a passionate enthusiast for beautiful shoes and fine shirts. And he’s gay. Not really a remarkable circumstance. But for Diallo, his own sexual orientation was fatal. Beaten up by his own father, persecuted in a country where homosexuality is widely seen as a mortal sin, he fled. Diallo has been living in Germany for more than five years. It is a safe life. But also one for a while. As before, he is only tolerated here by the authorities. His asylum application was rejected and he is currently waiting for the retrial to begin.