Brenda Biya’s Coming Out Challenges State Homophobia in Cameroon

Brenda Biya’s Coming Out Challenges State Homophobia in Cameroon

Repression of Homosexuality in Cameroon

Article 347 bis of the Cameroonian Penal Code provides for up to five years of imprisonment for homosexual relationships. Since 2005, the regime of Paul Biya, with the support of the Catholic Church, has been rigorously campaigning against the LGBTQI+ community. At that time, the Archbishop of Yaoundé declared: “We do not accept [homosexuality] in our country. It is against natural morals.”

Homophobia in Africa

Arrests and convictions of LGBTQI+ individuals are regularly denounced by human rights organizations. A portion of Cameroonian society still equates homosexuality with witchcraft. In 2018, reports indicated that lesbians were victims of rape and torture, sometimes perpetrated by their own family members. In 2023, Cameroon even refused to host the French ambassador in charge of LGBT+ rights, Jean-Marc Berthon, who was to participate in a conference on gender and sexual orientation issues.

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Reactions to Brenda Biya’s Coming Out

In Switzerland, Brenda Biya can freely live her homosexuality. However, her coming out has provoked strong reactions in her home country. Christian Ntimbane Bomo, a candidate for the upcoming presidential election, called this act an “abomination before God” and requested that it not be discussed: “Sharing photos of Brenda Biya and her supposed partner consciously or unconsciously contributes to a carefully organized publicity campaign aimed at trivializing and normalizing this deviance in Cameroon.”

Hope for LGBTQI+ Activists

Opponents of Paul Biya’s regime, such as exiled journalist Paul Bertolt, reacted by demanding the release of imprisoned homosexuals in Cameroon. Bertolt even provocatively suggested arresting the president’s daughter to enforce the homophobic law without distinction. LGBTQI+ activists see this coming out as a beacon of hope. Shakiro, a trans activist sentenced to five years in prison in 2021 before fleeing the country, expressed her support: “We will achieve the decriminalization of homosexuality thanks to you.”