Cameroon punishment for being lesbian: No school — unless you help
By Akam Monthe
Andy and Bella, ages 18 and 21, are two intelligent young women whose education was cut short after their parents learned that they are lesbians.
Bella and Andy (identified by pseudonyms for their safety) were students at The Good Shepherd Institute of Business and Technology, where Bella was studying accountancy and Andy was working toward an advanced technician’s certificate..
The fateful discovery happened in Yaoundé on the evening of July 23, when the two girlfriends had already been in love for eight months. Up to that day, the pair had behaved discreetly, avoiding the notice of their families, neighbors and classmates.
The only exception occurred during the previous school year, when Bella’s parents had been summoned by school officials who suspected that their daughter was a lesbian. After listening to the parents’ pleading, the school officials agreed not to expel Bella.
But this past July during a dance party organized by one of their neighbors, the two girls were surprised in a passionate embrace in a corner of the courtyard. The news circulated quickly and the parents of both girls were alerted.
The next day, the families convened a meeting at which many threats were made to the two lovers. They acknowledged that they had secretly been partners for eight months.
At the meeting, the women’s parents announced that they would no longer pay for their children’s education.
After the meeting, the parents’ continuing criticisms and hostile looks made the daughters uncomfortable in their own homes, so they moved out.
Now they are trying to survive without having any income. They don’t want to give up on their education, but they would need outside help in order to continue. For a year for the two of them, the school expenses would be 900,000 CFA francs (about US $1,378).
If any readers want to help Bella and Andy, they should write to info@76crimes.com to make arrangements for a designated, U.S. tax-deductible gift via the St. Paul’s Foundation for International Reconciliation.
The pair stated:
“We are homosexual and we love each other. We want to continue our studies to avoid falling into perdition and to prove to our parents and relatives that even homosexuals can succeed in life.
“We need your support for this. The total cost of our schooling is [about US $1,378]. Any contribution will be welcome.”
Without help, Andy and Bella could face a grim future because, in Cameroon, LGBT people often have difficulty finding jobs. Without income, without food, they often decide that they have no choice other than to resort to prostitution.
Akam Monthe, the author of this article, is an activist for LGBTI rights in Cameroon who writes under a pseudonym. Contact him at info@76crimes.com.
Homosexuality has always been African, but the term LGBT is new and divisive