The daughter of Cameroon’s president, Brenda Biya, has come out as a lesbian, in the hopes that her decision of coming out can help change the law banning same-sex relationships in the country.
Taking to Instagram last week, the 27-year-old Biya had shared an image of her kissing another woman, inviting mixed reactions from netizens.
“I’m crazy about you and I want the world to know,” her caption read for a photo of her embracing Layyons Velanca, a Brazilian model.
Speaking to Le Parisien, Biya said that there were several people like her in her situation, whom she hoped to inspire.
Reportedly, Biya had not discussed with or informed anyone in her family about the post she published. “Coming out is an opportunity to send a strong a message,” she was quoted as saying.
She noted that she found the anti-gay law, which had been in force before her father came to power, terming it to be “unfair” and hoping that her story will change the scenario.
Brenda’s father — 91-year-old Paul Biya — has been Cameroon’s president since 1982 and is one of the longest-serving leaders of Africa.
Brenda had taken her Brazilian girlfriend, with whom she had been with for eight months, to Cameroon thrice without letting anyone in her family know about their relationship.
Living abroad, the musician said that she received a slew of messages conveying support but at the same time, she received a lot of flak since posting that picture.
Brenda said that she was happy to unveil her relationship status, adding that she wanted to give that hope and “send love to those suffering” because of their identity while also helping them feel less lonely.
She told Le Parisien that the first family call she received was from her brother, who was angry that she posted the picture without warning the family.
Later her parents, President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya called her and asked her to delete the post. “Since then, it’s been silence,” she noted.
She had a crush on a girl for the first time at the age of 16, but, she said that it was difficult to express herself given the situation in her country.
According to Cameroon’s laws, same-sex relationships are a punishable offence and can get someone up to five years in prison if found in violation of the same.
Reportedly, neither Paul nor the First Lady has made any comment in this matter. Officials also stepped back from commenting on what they called was a family issue.
A group named DDHP Movement which supports the current laws in the country filed a complaint to the public prosecutor against Brenda on Tuesday. One Philippe Nsoue from the group said that they were seeking justice, adding that though Brenda is the President’s daughter, there is “no one above the law”.
“Whenever a Cameroonian citizen or foreigner commits acts that go against the (LGBT) situation in our country, we must seek judicial recourse,” Nsoue was quoted as saying by BBC.
