What a brave move! Despite homosexuality being illegal in her home country, Cameroon’s presidential daughter Brenda Biya has come out as a lesbian with a kissing photo on Instagram. The 26-year-old rapper confessed her love for her boyfriend, Brazilian model Layyons Valença. Both women live in Geneva, Switzerland.
“I’m crazy about you and I want the world to know,” Biya captioned the photo she shared on Instagram. In her home country, homosexual acts are punishable by law, as they are in some 30 other African countries. Same-sex sex carries a minimum prison sentence of six months to five years.
Cameroonian and international media were concerned that Paul Biya, the only daughter of the head of state for more than forty years, and at 91 the oldest president in the world, had come out as a lesbian. Brenda Biya herself did not provide information about her sexual orientation or the nature of her relationship with Valença, but shared headlines about her coming out and votes from supporters.
Lots of support for coming out on social networks
Cameroon’s LGBTQI+ community celebrated the president’s daughter for a photo. The English acronym LGBTQI+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex people, other identities and genders. “I am so proud of your courage and your journey. Thank you Brenda,” said Cameroonian lawyer Alice Nkom, who advocates for gay rights in Cameroon.
“I am so happy for Brenda Biya and I think it’s great that she felt empowered to share this with the world,” Bandy Kiki, a Cameroonian LGBT activist living in Britain, told the German news agency. Trans woman Shakiro, who found asylum in Belgium after serving six months in prison in Cameroon and being beaten by a mob after her release, also praised Biya’s courage and strength.
Priest says: “We can only pray for them”
Conservative voices in the predominantly Christian country voiced the expected criticism. Biya’s Instagram posts also drew homophobic comments. “Homosexuality is against nature, and everything that is against nature is against God,” the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Cameroon, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya, told dpa. “The only thing we can do is pray for them,” he added.
Biya’s photo also sparked a debate about double standards. More than 20 people are currently in prison in Cameroon for homosexual practices, journalist Boris Bertolt wrote. “Either Brenda Biya is arrested or everyone is released.” Activist Kiki told dpa: “No one should be punished for who they are, regardless of their social class and status.”
The president did not respond to the photo
The media in the coastal state of about 29 million people, where press freedom is severely restricted, remained largely silent. Paul Biya also did not respond to the photo of his daughter in the days following the report. The president, in power since 1982, is considered a de facto dictator, despite elections that observers label as unfree and fraudulent. Frequent stays in Switzerland and the luxurious life of his wife and three children are linked to years of corruption allegations against the Biyas.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
