WRITTEN By Jeanpierre Zoogley
My name is Jeanpierre Zoogley, and I was born on February 7th 1994. I am a college dropout
and member of the LGBTQ community, specifically the movement in defense of gays and
lesbians of Liberia and the network of youth living positive (TNOL+). identified as a bisexual
man, and I am an advocate for the rights of gays, bisexuals and lesbians in Liberia. Over the
years, I have lived and survived through horrifying and life-threatening experiences solely
because of my sexuality and advocacy for members of the LGBTQ community. The church has
persecuted me, imagine my church in which I was born and raised.
Due to my advocacy for the rights of people of the LGBTQ COMMUNITY, I have been stigmatized, bullied, and publicly and physically humiliated, and even gang attacked in the community and throughout the nation due to my advocacy. I have been deserted by members of my family, ridiculed and belittled by friends who later considered me their enemy due to my sexuality and association. I dropped out of university because I was constantly being targeted, bullied and humiliated, and that led to me being traumatized and depressed.
On October 14th, 2020, our organization (tnol+) was invited to a social function
organized by Population Support International (PSI) Liberia. The goal of this event was to raise
funds for a collaborative workshop on HIV/AIDS preventative measures to be carried out by
both organizations. PSI, being the host of the event, organized the function at their youth drop-in
center located in Sinkor 16th street, Monrovia, Liberia.
The Executive Director, Mr. Hollywood Karishma, an international cross-dresser and gay rights
advocate, asked me to accompany Mr. Nicolas Somah to represent our organization. Mr.
Savannah Fantari served as the patron of the event, and MC was responsible for running the
pageant. It was a beauty pageant, with contestants coming from all sides of the gender
spectrum. The contestants consisted of openly gay men, lesbians, bisexual, cross-dresser, and
queer people who would otherwise feel safe only in a psi safe drop-in center.
Noting that PSI is an internationally respected organization that promotes and protects human
rights and provides safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ community. In about an hour,
approximately 80 mob gangs surrounded the entire drop-in center and anti-gay individuals
whose only intention was to harm and hurt us Members of the LGBTQ community. The mob cut out the power source from the generator and While in darkness, they took over the entire yard of the drop-in center and attacked us, some carrying cutlasses, knives, sticks, pin-bars and stones. It was a very sad, and devastating experience we endured. I personally got severely injured and had to stay in doors, not only for the physical injuries and bodily wounds that I got from that painful experience, but for the stigmatization and societal reprisal for choosing to live a free and openly life as a bisexual man.
I was beaten with sticks, punched in the face, kicked to the ground along with other
attendees. Everyone got severely wounded from the attack, which lasted about 30-45
minutes before police arrived on the scene. Knowing that the Liberia police are bias and play
hypocrites and in most cases are the chief prosecutors of members of the LGBTQ community;
we had to quickly escape the scene. With nothing, I could do, I had to live through the trauma of that experience and everyday experience of being a bisexual man living in Liberia. According to our country’s constitution and chief law, the national penal code of conduct of Liberia (article 14.74 of the 1978 revised code) is a crime, which is a first degree crime punishable by a one-year prison term and a fine of not less than a US$1000.00 solely at the Judge’s description.
This experience and others have led me to believe that I can not live a life free and open as a
bisexual man in my own country, Liberia, which is a gross violation of my human rights as a
person.
On November 28, 2018, at about 8:30 pm, I was walking from “Vicks’ sports bar coming
from watching a football match, since I happen to follow soccer and, on my way, home, I was
attacked by a group of thugs and anti-gay protestants. These brutally and physically attached
mobsters because they have lived all their lives being traditionally programmed that same sex
relationship is a crime. I attacked, and since it was in a dark and isolated area, an unknown
person tapped me on the shoulder. As I turned, they punched me in the face, and I was kicked
to the ground.
Severely flogged with wooden sticks, kicked in the stomach and spit on the ground in pain. It
was an elderly man who was my savior that day. Had it not been the Oldman, it would have
been worse. I could have been stabbed or even worse, killed, because they had already robbed
and brutalized me at that moment before he arrived on the scene. He scared them off the scene
by attempting to call the police, because he thought I was being roped. I was grateful to the
Oldman for rescuing me from that brutal attack.
The US State Department 2022 report of Liberia referenced recorded instances where members
of the LGBTQ community, rights have been grossly violated, ranging from assault to
harassment, hate speech to stereotyping. The report further mentioned 14 cases where
members and affiliates of the LGBTQ community were abused, assaulted and disgraced, and
nothing the police or justice system can do about it, as society blinds themselves to members of
the LGBTQ community and the abuses against them.
Due to societal stigma and public ridicule, LGBTQ members like myself are afraid to report
these crimes to the police. We face serious discrimination in every aspect of our lives, including
access to housing, education, healthcare, and even employment, and land. I personally had my
application refused for housing, and the owner of the apartment told me my application was
refused due to my sexuality. Our right to access public gathering and freedom of expression have always been denied, and I received death threats to my person and members of my family.
One instance that took over the entire nation, which brought national and international spotlight on the discrimination and violence we face in Liberia as members of the LGBTQ community, was the killings and brutalization of gay men who were members of the LGBTQ community by ex-soldier Cheeseman Cole. Cheeseman Cole is an ex-combatant, a former Charles Taylor REBE soldier
who lured and befriended gay men and brutalized and in two instances killed two of his victims
namely Winston Toe and Dominic Renner.
He tortured his victims and brutalized them only because they chose to live their lives, accepting
who they are and sharing love regardless. They lose their lives for being who they are…because
of these reasons and fear for my life as a bisexual man living in my country who has no means
of employment or livelihood, I decided to seek asylum in Canada, a country where I can live and
grow to my fullest potential while living free and in peace.
Another incident I would like to bring to your attention happened on MARCH 23, 2023, two days
after I exercised my right to REGISTER TO VOTE in the just ended LIBERIAN presidential
elections, which took place on OCTOBER 10, 2023. While on my way to attend a program at my
political party, the CDC, Congress for Democratic Change, my friend NICHOLAS SOMAH and I
who is also a member of the TNOL+, were waiting for taxis. Two anti-gay protesters saw us and
recognized us from the incident that occurred October 14, 2020, at the PSI drop-in center. They
called two passers police officers on us.
They alleged we are GAYS MEN, and that we are spreading our devilish and demonic acts
among their children, and contaminating society. They insisted we are breaking the law. They
argued that we should be arrested and detained, persecuted and sent to prison, because they
believe we were already guilty without proof.
They alleged we are on a mission to damage their children and society, and that if the police
and the law that forbids “our evil and forbidden acts” will not get rid of us, they will have no
problem getting rid of us from their society. death threats, insults and beaten we received daily
out there in Liberia. The police officers listening to the angry anti-gay’s rights protesters decided
to handcuff us, placed us in the back of the police pickup truck, and took us to the station.
There we were placed into detention, terrorized and harshly interrogated, stripped naked,
humiliated and flogged with wooden sticks. We were later released the next day and were
warned never to voice out the experiences from the previous day, and that if we were to say a
word to anyone, they will make sure that we are sent away to Zwedru correction palace- the country
most violent and criminal ridden prison. Fear for our lives, we had to stay in silence and let go and pretend that a painful event didn’t happen.
