President’s Daughter Comes Out as Lesbian with a Strong Message to Her Father

Brenda Biya, the daughter of Cameroon’s president, has publicly come out as a lesbian, expressing hope that her revelation will contribute to changing the law banning same-sex relations in her country.

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In an interview with Le Parisien, Brenda Biya, 27, shared her desire to inspire others in similar situations. Last week, she posted an image of herself kissing another woman on Instagram, which elicited mixed reactions in Cameroon.

“I’m crazy about you & I want the world to know,” she declared in the Instagram post, featuring a photo of her embracing Brazilian model Layyons Valença.

During the interview with Le Parisien, she disclosed that she had not informed her family before making the post public. “Coming out is an opportunity to send a strong message,” she stated, adding that the anti-gay law in Cameroon, which predates her father’s presidency, is “unfair and I hope that my story will change it”.

Paul Biya, 91, has been Cameroon’s president since 1982 and is one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Brenda Biya mentioned that she has been in a relationship with the Brazilian model for eight months and had already taken her to Cameroon three times without revealing their relationship to her family.

Brenda, a musician living abroad, has received numerous messages of support, as well as negative reactions, since announcing her relationship. She expressed happiness in revealing her status and aimed to offer hope and “send love” to those suffering “because of who they are [and] help them feel less alone”.

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Her brother was the first to contact her, expressing anger that she had posted the image without warning the family. Her parents, President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya, later called, requesting that she delete the post. “Since then, it’s been silence,” she said.

Brenda recounted having her first crush on a girl at 16 but found it difficult to express her love due to the legal and social environment in Cameroon. Same-sex relations are illegal in Cameroon and punishable by up to five years in prison.

There has been no official comment from the president or the first lady. A government source told French broadcaster RFI that the matter concerned the “private life of an adult residing outside the country and does not in any way concern Cameroon or the head of state”.

Rights groups that have criticized Cameroon’s laws against same-sex relations have praised Brenda Biya’s revelation as a courageous move. However, questions have arisen about whether coming out is a privilege reserved for a select few in the country.

“Anti-LGBT laws in Cameroon disproportionately target the poor. Wealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences,” LGBT activist Bandy Kiki posted on Facebook.

On Tuesday, a group supporting the current laws filed a complaint against Brenda Biya with the public prosecutor. Philippe Nsoue from the DDHP Movement stated they were seeking justice, saying that although Brenda Biya is the president’s daughter, “no one is 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,” he said.