Cameroon president's daughter Brenda Biya faces backlash from family after coming out

Even the daughter of Cameroon's president may not be shielded from the nation's harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws.

Brenda Biya, whose father is Paul Biya, came out last week in an Instagram post that revealed her 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. Biya has since revealed the extent of the backlash she received for her post, some of which came from her own family.

Biya told France's Le Parisien that her brother was the first to contact her after she posted the photo, angry at her for publishing it without warning the family. She then received a call from her mother, First Lady Chantal Biya, who told her to delete the post.

“Since then, it’s been silence,” she said.

Biya also said that her family was not aware she had been in a relationship with Valença for eight months, despite bringing her to the country to visit three times.

Cameroon's Penal Code 2016 criminalizes consensual same-sex activity, not LGBTQ+ identity, therefore "arrests of people on the basis of perceived identity are unlawful," according to Human Rights Watch. However, 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 in the nation.

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.

Biya added that she "can lose a lot" by coming out due to the country's law, which she said is “unfair."

"I hope that my story will change it," she continued. “Coming out is an opportunity to send a strong message. ... There are plenty of people in the same situation as me who suffer because of who they are. If I can give them hope, help them feel less alone, if I can send love, I am happy.”