Shakiro, 23, a vocal advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights, and Patricia (not their real names), 27, were rounded up by law enforcers in Cameroon on 8 February 2021, following an “attempted act of homosexuality”. They were charged, among other things, with failure to present their national identity cards and dressing in women’s clothing in public. The two transgender women were sentenced by a Cameroonian court to the maximum penalty of five years jail term in a men’s prison and are expected to pay a fine of US $370 each for gross misconduct, failing which they would have to serve an additional year.
This is not an isolated case. Cameroon has for decades been cracking down on LGBTQ people residing in the country. Cameroon is one among 30 other African countries that have zero tolerance for the LGBTQ community. Its penal law, which was inherited from the colonial rulers, considers homosexuality to be a crime, and anyone found to be practicing it shall be convicted for a maximum of five years’ imprisonment. This has created a hostile environment for this minority group.
A number of members of the LGBTQ community in Cameroon have come out to testify against the brutality and harassment they experience, not only at the hands of law enforcers, but also from members of their communities. According to interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch, one transgender woman described her experience at the hands of police officers as utterly inhuman. “Police told us we are devils, not humans, not normal. They beat a trans woman in the face, slapped her twice in front of me.”
The LGBTQ community in Cameroon is subjected to all forms of assault, torture, and mistreatment once identified by the public. Earlier this year, on 24 February 2021, police raided the offices of an LGBTQ organisation in the city of Baffousam. 13 people were arrested on the spot. A collection of organisations concerned with LGBTQ rights, in submissions before the United Nations Human Rights Committee, stated that Cameroon authorities are among the most aggressive in the world for prosecuting same-sex acts. According to reports by Human Rights Watch, the country has seen an increase in detention of this minority group, with others losing their lives amidst hostile arrests.
“My sexual orientation and my sexuality aren’t choices, but your baseless hatred and your homophobia are,” Shakiro wrote on Facebook early in March 2021. Human right groups from all over the world have condemned the government of Cameroon, terming the sentencing of the two individuals as unfair and unjust. To some commentators, this move is seen as politically motivated. By taking stern measures against this minority group, the authoritarian regime is hoping to win the support of a much larger constituency of conservatives in the country.
Shakiro, a popular social media figure, who once had an ambition of becoming a judge before she was bullied out of school, was considered a hindrance to the government push-back against the influence of Western culture in Cameroon. Her strong personality on social media platforms, advocating for fair treatment of the LGBTQ community in Cameroon, definitely made her an easy target for the government to impose the full force of the law on her as a warning to the rest of the LGBTQ community.
This article was written as part of the Human Rights Pulse Writer’s Workshop programme.
Diana is a final year student pursuing a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication (Public Relations) at Kibabii University. Digital Activist at Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development in Africa. A passionate advocate of SDGs 4 & 5. A volunteer Mentor for the Equity Group Foundation based in Kenya.