The daughter of Cameroon\u2019s president said she hoped that by coming out as a lesbian she can help change laws that ban homosexuality in the country. <\/p>\n
Brenda Biya, who lives between the United States and Switzerland, came out in an Instagram post on June 30. <\/p>\n
In an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien published on Tuesday, the 27-year-old said she had not come out to her family before she publicly posted a photo of her kissing her girlfriend. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are plenty of people in the same situation as me who suffer because of who they are,\u201d she said. \u201cIf I can give them hope, help them feel less alone, if I can send love, I\u2019m happy.\u201d <\/p>\n
Same-sex relations are punishable by up to five years in prison under Cameroon\u2019s penal code. <\/p>\n
Her father, Paul Biya, 91, who has led Cameroon for four decades, has not publicly commented on the matter. <\/p>\n
Brenda Biya said the law punishing gay sex existed before her father came into power in 1982, and she hopes her story will lead to change in the legislation. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt may be too soon for it to disappear completely but it could be less strict. We could first eliminate the prison sentence,\u201d she said in the interview. <\/p>\n
Bandy Kiki, a Cameroonian LGBT rights activist based in Britain, said she was happy for Biya, who she said had affirmed the existence of LGBT people in Cameroon. <\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, it highlights a harsh reality: anti-LGBT laws in Cameroon disproportionately target the poor,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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