The daughter of the president of Cameroon, where same-sex sexual activity is illegal, posted about her relationship with a woman on the last day of Pride Month.
The photo, shared to Instagram, shows Brenda Biya and Brazilian model Layyons Valença sharing a kiss. The caption reads simply: “PS: I’m crazy about you & I want the world to know” with a heart emoji and Valença’s Instagram handle tagged.
Biya has since turned off the comments on the post, but according to the Cameroon News Agency, she responded to a commenter who pointed out that her father, Paul Biya, is the President of Cameroon. When the commenter noted that same-sex sexual activity is criminalized in the country where her father has been head of state for over four decades, she reportedly responded, “Nobody will have anything to say because only love shall win,” adding, “I don’t condone hate, I think the mentality should change, but it will change once the people are ready.”
As the Cameroon Concord reported, the younger Biya has proved a controversial figure due to her “provocative” online posts, with some accusing her of using her online platform to detract from criticisms of her father’s administration, which has been accused of authoritarianism and corruption.
Homosexuality has been illegal in Cameroon since 1972, according to the global human rights group Human Dignity Trust. The anti-LGBTQ+ law applies to any same-sex sexual activity, with offenses resulting in fines and a maximum of five years in prison. In May 2022, Human Rights Watch published a report finding that Cameroonian security forces had arbitrarily arrested six people and detained 11 for alleged same-sex sexual conduct and gender nonconformity. The report also cited findings from the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS, which recorded 32 cases of violence and abuse against LGBTQ+ Cameroonians between January and May 2022. This represented an 88% increase in such incidents from the same period in 2021.
Some Cameroonian LGBTQ+ advocates have applauded Biya, with BBC News reporting that trans activist Shakiro called the post a “turning point for the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon,” saying that the president’s daughter “is now positioning herself as a voice for social change in a country where taboos are deeply rooted.” Shakiro herself currently lives in Belgium after having been jailed for five years for “attempted homosexuality” in Cameroon.
In a Facebook post, LGBTQ+ activist Bandy Kiki wrote, “I love this for Cameroon’s first daughter, Brenda Biya!” But Kiki also noted that the post “highlights a harsh reality: Anti-LGBT laws in Cameroon disproportionately target the poor.” (Kiki herself told the BBC in a video interview that she was threatened with “corrective rape” after coming out as a lesbian)
“Wealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences,” Kiki said.
President Biya has yet to respond publicly to his daughter’s post.
