The daughter of Cameroon’s president has stirred up controversy in her home country after she posted an image of her kissing another woman. In a country where same-sex relationships are illegal and labelled diabolical, this is not surprising.
In an Instagram post now gone viral, the 26-year-old Brenda Biya was seen embracing Brazilian model Layyons Valença.
“I’m crazy about you & I want the world to know,” Ms Biya had captioned the post, adding a love heart emoji to boot.
Her 91-year-old father, Paul Biya, is notoriously famous for being one of Africa’s longest ruling leaders after being elected the president in 1982.
Those engaging in same-sex acts or relationships in the Central African nation face up to five years in jail.
Biya is a musician based abroad going by the moniker, King Nasty but her sexual orientation was not explicitly announced in the post. In Cameroon, those engaging in same-sex acts or relationships risk spending up to five years in prison.
But, not long after the image was published, Ms Biya shared an article from Le Monde, in which the French newspaper reported that she had “come out”.
Biya had also posted other messages from people expressing their support for her in the aftermath of the post.
The post wasn’t well received by some people however, as several social media users in Cameroon have responded to her post with homophobic comments.
Human rights groups have consistently lambasted Cameroon’s strict laws against members of the LGBT community.
In 2022, Human Rights Watch appealed to the Cameroonian government to “take urgent action to revoke this discriminatory law and to ensure that the human rights of all Cameroonians, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics, are upheld”.
Major media outlets in Cameroon have not reported on Ms Biya’s recent picture. The media regulatory body is famous for punishing publications and broadcasters who depict or promote homosexuality in any form.
As at press time on Wednesday, President Biya has yet to comment on this controversy.
