Yaounde – Rights activists in Cameroon and abroad have praised the daughter of President Paul Biya for announcing that she is in a same-sex relationship. By challenging the country's stringent anti-homosexuality laws, campaigners hope Brenda Biya's declaration will help highlight the persecution faced by LGBTQ+ people in Cameroon.
Brenda Biya, 26, shared a photo on social media late last month that showed her embracing Brazilian model Layyons Valença.
The post was accompanied by the caption: "I'm crazy about you and I want the world to know it", along with a heart emoji.
It came despite the fact that in Cameroon, sexual relations between people of the same sex are illegal and punishable by prison sentences ranging from six months to five years.
'Message of love'
Activists hailed Biya's "courage" in coming out.
Alice Nkom, a prominent Cameroonian human rights lawyer who specialises in defending LGBTQ+ people, wrote on Facebook that the president's daughter was "sending an important universal message of love".
Nkom described her as "a model of courage, the courage that we expect from all Cameroonians".
Bandy Kiki, a Cameroonian blogger and activist based in the UK, told RFI that the announcement "brings attention to the legal and social issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon".
"As the first daughter, Brenda Biya's post directly challenges Cameroon's laws and societal norms that criminalise and stigmatise same-sex relations," Kiki said.
Backlash
Biya has since deleted her Instagram post, which she said had "turned sour".
"I received a lot of negative comments... insults, a lot of criticism, but I also received a lot of support from LGBTQ communities, and from organisations or people who didn't feel represented in Cameroon," she said in a later TikTok video.
She has also found herself threatened with legal action for "inciting homosexuality".
An anti-LGBTQ group that calls itself Against the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality in Our Country filed a complaint against Biya with the public prosecutor this week, accusing her of "promoting and inciting the practice of homosexuality".
It is unclear whether the prosecutor will pursue charges against Biya, who no longer lives in Cameroon.
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Colonial-era laws
"Brenda must be aware that the photo would cause a stir," said Luiz De Barros, a spokesperson for South African group OUT LGBT Well-being.
"Whatever her motivation, everyone should be free to joyfully express their closeness and love, romantic or otherwise, for other human beings, regardless of gender or sexuality. If that is the message that Brenda is sharing, we heartily applaud her."
He expressed concern over Cameroon's laws oppressing LGBTQ+ people, arguing that they were imposed on the country by its European former colonisers.
"These laws are not natural to Africa and must be eradicated if we truly wish to decolonise the continent," he insisted.
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'Voice for change'
Cameroon is one of approximately 30 African countries that criminalise same-sex relationships. Enforcement of these laws has been strict.
Shakiro, a transgender woman, fled Cameroon and sought asylum in Belgium after receiving a five-year prison sentence for "attempted homosexuality".
She believes Biya's post could be a "turning point for the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon".
Biya "is now positioning herself as a voice for social change in a country where taboos are deeply rooted", Shakiro said.
It remains uncertain whether the involvement of the president's daughter will significantly impact the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon, where her father has ruled for more than 40 years.
In 2021, a spokesperson for his government, Rene Sadi, called homosexuality "contrary to our realities, our convictions and our culture as well as to the requirements of procreation".
Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien this week, Brenda Biya said that mentalities were changing in Cameroon, especially among her generation.
"There are lots of people in the same situation as me who are suffering because of who they are," she said. "If I can give them hope, help them feel less alone, send them some love, I'm delighted."
