Brenda Biya, daughter of Cameroon\u2019s President Paul Biya, publicly announced her identity as a lesbian on June 30, expressing hope that her revelation would inspire changes to the country\u2019s anti-homosexuality laws.<\/p>\n

In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 27-year-old, who divides her time between the United States and Switzerland, shared a photo of herself kissing her girlfriend.<\/p>\n

In an interview with the French newspaper Le Parisien published on Tuesday, Brenda disclosed that she had not come out to her family before her public announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many 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 am happy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cameroon\u2019s penal code punishes same-sex relations with up to five years in prison.<\/p>\n

Despite her father\u2019s longstanding leadership\u2014President Paul Biya has been in power since 1982\u2014he has not publicly commented on his daughter\u2019s revelation.<\/p>\n

Brenda noted that the anti-homosexuality law predated her father\u2019s presidency.<\/p>\n

She expressed hope that her openness could spark legislative changes. \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 suggested.<\/p>\n

Cameroonian LGBT rights activist Bandy Kiki, based in Britain, praised Brenda\u2019s courage.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has affirmed the existence of LGBT people in Cameroon,\u201d Kiki said.<\/p>\n

However, she pointed out the disparity in how anti-LGBT laws are enforced, noting that the wealthy and well-connected often avoid severe consequences, while the poor face harsh penalties.<\/p>\n

Brenda Biya\u2019s brave declaration shines a light on the ongoing struggles of LGBT individuals in Cameroon and raises hopes for future legislative reform and greater acceptance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Brenda Biya, daughter of Cameroon\u2019s President Paul Biya, publicly announced her identity as a lesbian on June 30, expressing hope that her revelation would inspire changes to the country\u2019s anti-homosexuality laws. In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 27-year-old, who divides her time between the United States and Switzerland, shared a photo of herself kissing her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2801],"tags":[2802,2803,2804],"class_list":{"0":"post-6928","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa","8":"tag-brenda-biya","9":"tag-cameroon-presidents-daughter","10":"tag-lgbt"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n