Brenda Biya, the daughter of Cameroon’s president, has come out as a lesbian, hoping her revelation will inspire change in her country’s laws banning same-sex relations. In an interview with Le Parisien, Biya, 27, expressed her desire to support others in similar situations and inspire them.
Biya recently posted an image on Instagram of her kissing Brazilian model Layyons Valença, declaring her love and sparking mixed reactions in Cameroon. She revealed that she had not informed her family before making the post public.
“Coming out is an opportunity to send a strong message,” she said, describing the anti-gay law, which predates her father’s presidency, as “unfair.”
Paul Biya, 91, has been Cameroon’s president since 1982, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Brenda Biya shared that she has been in a relationship with Valença for eight months and had brought her to Cameroon three times without disclosing their relationship to her family.
The musician, who lives abroad, has received both supportive and negative reactions since her announcement. Despite the backlash, she hopes her story will give hope and “send love” to those suffering due to their sexual orientation.
Her brother was the first family member to contact her, expressing anger over the public post, while her parents, President Paul Biya and First Lady Chantal Biya, later requested she delete it. “Since then, it’s been silence,” she said.
Brenda Biya recalled her first crush on a girl at 16 and the challenges of expressing her love due to Cameroon’s laws. Same-sex relations are punishable by up to five years in prison in the country.
There has been no official comment from the president or the first lady. A government source told French broadcaster RFI that the issue concerns “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 have praised Biya’s revelation as a courageous move, highlighting ongoing criticism of Cameroon’s laws against same-sex relations.