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LGBTQ+ relationships are criminalized in Cameroon, carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison.
In the face of Cameroon's criminalization of LGBTQ+ relationships, the daughter of the nation's president has come out.
Brenda Biya, daughter of President Paul Biya, revealed in a recent post to her Instagram that she is in a relationship with Brazilian model Layyons Valença. Biya posted a photo of the two kissing, writing in the caption: “PS: I’m crazy about you & I want the world to know.”
Cameroon prohibits consensual same-sex relationships, carrying a sentence of up to five years in prison and a fine. Because Penal Code 2016 criminalizes consensual same-sex activity, not LGBTQ+ identity, "arrests of people on the basis of perceived identity are unlawful," according to Human Rights Watch.
This has not stopped law enforcement from targeting and arresting members of the LGBTQ+ community, as there are several reports of mass arrests, arbitrary detention, and torture and violence being used against queer people while in custody.
HRW also noted a spike in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes in recent years due to the political landscape, including incidents of assault, harassment, threats, extortion, torture, and murder. Law enforcement often fails to investigate or prosecute such crimes, and instead "arrest and detain those who report [them]," HRW said.
Most recently, Cameroon's National Communication Council acted in 2023 to prohibit the broadcasting of scenes containing homosexuality. It shortly after suspended the channel Canal+ Elles for two weeks for violating the policy.
Biya's coming out has LGBTQ+ Africans and activists wondering if she will be subject to the same punishments as those who do not share her resources or status, or if her being the daughter of the president will instead shield her. Biya herself isn't worried — when one commenter pointed out who her father is and what the law says, the socialite pushed back.
