The video of three men disguised as women been attacked and made to strip by in a bar in Benin, Cotonou, on Saturday, May 1st has sparked outrage.
The men who seemed to be crossdressers were attacked with bottles then humiliated after they were discovered.
The violence that was captured on cell phone video and uploaded to social media caught the attention of an NGO and LGBT+ advocacy group Hirondelle Club Benin. They shared it on Twitter to spread awareness about violence against transgenders.
The video caption reads: “We have just denounced an umpteenth aggression against people LGBTQi in Benin a few days before the celebration of May 17. We condemn these acts with the last rigor. We will come back for more details.”
In the video that has become a growing sensation, the men are seen harassing the crossdressers. The men forced them to take off their clothes while also slapping them and throwing objects at them.
The attack was premeditated as one of the victims told The Observers that his man knew he was transgendered.
“My man knew I was transgender and asked me to invite my transgender friends. When we arrived, he asked me to go outside.
“Once we managed to get outside to help our friend, they began attacking the three of us. There were about 200 men there, and they forced us to strip naked while they laughed and filmed up. It was humiliating.”
The victims were able to take shelter within Hirondelle Club Benin. But they said the “whole nation”, including “our families and bosses”, viewed the video of the attack after it went viral on social media.
“We’ll never be able to find a job again,” one of the victims said. “Everyone here is against us. Even young children in the street have been [pointing] fingers at us.”
Watch video below;
Nous venons dénoncer une fois encore une énième agression contre les personnes LGBTQI au Bénin à quelques jours de la célébration du 17 Mai.Nous condamnons ces actes avec la dernière rigueur.Nous vous reviendrons pour plus de détails. @EgidesAlliance @FrontlinDefend @ISDAOSankofa pic.twitter.com/CoPQ80HSzC
— Hirondelle Club Benin (@HirondelleBenin) May 1, 2021
