Gambia Armed Forces defence and security in The Gambia was the responsibility of the Field Force. The Field Force was a paramilitary unit of the police, consisting of roughly 140 men at independence and rising to around 500 in 1980. It has been formed in 1958 following the disbandment of the Gambia Regiment, part of the British Army. There was little concern about security in The Gambia due to its small size and the safety provided by being totally surrounded by Senegal, with which it had signed a mutual defence pact in 1965. This lax attitude to defence changed following the 1981 coup
LGBT rights in the Gambia country. GayGambia.com LGBT rights in the Gambia Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the Gambia face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in the Gambia. The Gambia Criminal Code, as amended by the Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2005, provides as follows: Section 144. Unnatural offenses. (1) Any person who –<br> (a) has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature; or<br> […]<br> (c) permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature;<br> is guilty of a felony, and