Cameroon First Daughter Calls for Decriminalization of Same-Sex Conduct

Brenda Biya’s Statement Highlights Plight of Sexual Minorities

On July 9, in an interview with a French newspaper about her relationship with another woman, Brenda Biya, 27, daughter of Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, called for the decriminalization of consensual same-sex conduct in her country.

Biya’s coming out is courageous since Cameroon’s penal code punishes same-sex conduct with up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to 200,000 CFA francs (US$330). Arbitrary arrests, physical and…