Today, I’m very honored to welcome Fatou to the show.

Fatou comes from the Gambia – a West African country surrounded by Senegal. Queerness is still criminalized in the Gambia, a painful legacy of British colonial rule. Queer people risk being imprisoned for life. 
Like the majority of the population in the Gambia, Fatou grew up in a Muslim family. 

She trained and graduated as a nurse at the Gambia College. But her life changed completely when her family found out that she had a girlfriend. What followed is a journey of violence, betrayal, and survival. 

In 2023, Fatou was nearly killed for being herself. She escaped the Gambia – first to Senegal, then Romania, and finally Germany, where she is still fighting to stay safe. Today, she faces the threat of deportation to a country where her life is in danger.

Fatou’s story is extremely tough – but it’s one that needs to be heard.

Content note: This episode includes mentions of physical violence, sexual abuse, forced migration, and deportation.

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