FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 4, 2025

Media Contact: Natty Ndate B. Loeschke Founder, Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal (DBA Pride Funding Network) Phone: +1 (888) 279-9270 ext. 1009 Email: pr@senegalbgc.org Website: senegalbgc.org

U.S. Summit Urged to Address LGBTQ+ Youth Crisis in Senegal

Toledo, OH — As President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance prepare to meet with five African heads of state at the July 9–11 summit in Washington, D.C., the Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal is calling on U.S. leadership to raise the urgent issue of LGBTQ+ youth protections with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

The nonprofit, which works directly with vulnerable youth in Senegal, reports a growing crisis of coercion, trafficking, and abandonment targeting LGBTQ+ individuals. These youth face systemic abuse and lack access to safe, affirming resources.

“These youth are not just vulnerable—they are being hunted. We need leadership that sees their humanity,” said Natty Ndate B. Loeschke, founder of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal and Pride Funding Network.

The organization is urging the creation of professionally staffed protection centers in Senegal where at-risk youth can report abuse, seek guidance, and reclaim their dignity. While civil society continues to provide emergency aid and counseling, the scale of the crisis demands government intervention.

“This is not a political issue. It is a humanitarian crisis,” Loeschke added.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal believes the United States has a powerful role to play—as an advocate for human rights and a partner in global leadership.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal Boys & Girls Clubs of Senegal is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering marginalized youth through education, advocacy, and direct support. Operating across Senegal and the United States, the organization works to promote dignity, opportunity, and protection for all children—regardless of background, identity, or circumstance.