Homosexuality in West Africa - Kiss from Cameroon president's daughter triggers debate
Cameroon's President's Daughter Brenda Biya started a discussion about the ban on homosexuality in Cameroon with a kiss photo on Instagram. "I'm crazy about you and I want the world to know", is written under the photo, which shows the 26-year-old Biya, who performs as rapper King Nasty, kissing a young extravagantly dressed woman - the Brazilian model Layyons Valencça. Both women live in Geneva, Switzerland. In Biya's homeland, homosexual acts, like in around 30 other African countries, are punishable. Homosexual sex carries a minimum sentence of six months up to five years in prison.
"I'm so proud of your courage"
Cameroonian and international media reacted to the fact that now, of all people, the only daughter of the president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, who has been in power for over 40 years and is the oldest president in the world at 91, came out as a lesbian. Brenda Biya herself made no statements about her sexual orientation or the nature of her relationship with Valencça, but shared headlines about her coming-out as well as messages from supporters and supporters.
The LGBTQI+ community in Cameroon celebrated Biya for the photo. The English abbreviation LGBTQI+ stands for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Trans-People, queer and intersex people, as well as other identities and genders. "I'm so proud of your courage and your way. Thank you, Brenda", commented the Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, who fights for the rights of homosexual people in Cameroon.
"I'm so happy for Brenda Biya and find it great that she felt empowered to share this with the world", said Bandy Kiki, a Cameroonian LGBT activist who lives in the UK, to the German Press Agency. Shakiro, a trans woman who found asylum in Belgium after spending six months in prison in Kamerun for homosexual acts and being assaulted by a mob after her release, also praised Biya's courage and strength.
Critics say the law is not applied equally
Conservative voices in the predominantly Christian country expressed expected criticism. Among Biya's Instagram posts, homophobic comments also gathered. "Homosexuality is against nature, and whatever is against nature is against God", said the chairman of the Cameroonian Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, to the dpa. "We can only pray for them."
Biya's photo also sparked a debate on double standards. More than 20 people are currently in prison in Cameroon for homosexual practices, wrote journalist Boris Bertolt. "Either Brenda Biya will be arrested or everyone will be released." Activist Kiki told the dpa: "Nobody should be punished for who they are, regardless of their social class and status."
Media in the coastal state with around 29 million inhabitants, where press freedom is strongly restricted, remained largely silent. Paul Biya reacted in the days following the post neither publicly nor privately. The president, who has been in power since 1982 and is considered a dictator by observers despite contested elections, spends much of his time in Switzerland and leads a luxurious lifestyle with his wife and three children. Regular stays in Switzerland and the lavish lifestyle of his family are linked to long-standing corruption allegations against the Biyas.
- Despite living in Geneva, Switzerland, where homosexuality is widely accepted, Brenda Biya's homeland, Cameroon, strictly bans homosexual acts.
- The extravagantly dressed woman in Brenda Biya's Instagram photo, a 26-year-old rapper known as King Nasty, is the Brazilian model Layyons Valencça.
- The LGBTQI+ community in Cameroon praised Brenda Biya for her courage, with activists like Bandy Kiki and Alice Nkom expressing support.
- Homophobic comments were also seen on Brenda Biya's Instagram post, reflecting the conservative views prevalent in the predominantly Christian country.
- Journalist Boris Bertolt pointed out the double standards in the application of Cameroon's law on homosexuality, suggesting either Brenda Biya would be arrested or all imprisoned individuals would be released.
- Activist Kiki criticized the unfairness of punishing individuals based on their sexual orientation, regardless of their social class or status, in Cameroon.
