A NYC Gay Show - Gay in Cameroon and Homosexuals under attack Cameroon Africa
Yaounde, Cameroon Africa(Cameroon News) -
Having same sex preferences is viewed as a crime in Cameroon and hence homosexuals have to keep their sexual preferences a secret here.
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Sentinelle, Ndibis and Duval are young men with homosexual preferences residing in Douala, the business capital of Cameroon. Homosexuality is a strict no-no in the country, and this condition forces them to behave as though they have bisexual preferences so as to conform to social and societal norms.
Sentinelle, 30, was asked to move from his church after he was accused of being a homosexual. As for Duval, 24, his own family disowned him after they tried, without effect, to get him exorcised by a priest. A lot of people in the country live with the wrong belief that homosexuals are possessed by some sort of evil spirits.
In a lot of regions in the country, homosexuals are assumed to belong to some evil sects where sodomy is a compulsory requirement for certain mystical rituals which they are believed to undertake. ?There are people who do not accept us as we are. In the streets, people call us names like faggots. They blame us for destroying the youth?, explains Duval.
Torn between being disowned and discrimination
All these beliefs have only added more fire to the prevalent discrimination and ill treatement that are attached homophobic sentiments which have resulted in the community being totally rejected in the country. Gay people in Cameroon quite shockingly face discrimination even with regard to healthcare which is an issue that needs to be addressed without fail.
?Sometimes during sexual relations, we bleed. When we go to the hospital, we are usually requested to bring our partner along. We have to lie in order to receive medical care. We often say that our girlfriend is out of town?, Sentinelle explains.
Living a double life
Unlike Ndibis en Sentinelle, who chose to keep his sexual preference as a secret, Duval was open about his same sex orientation with his family. Both young men have partners from both sexes. Ndibis?s ?man? is a father to two children. ?I don?t feel betrayed. He took a wife because of family and social pressure?, he says.
Sentinelle looks back to when he was 14 years old which is when he had his first sexual encounter, with a girl. ?I did it because of peer pressure. All my friends had girlfriends, so I thought: why not?, he remembers. He hasn?t had a sexual relationship with a woman ever since, but he is now engaged to be married to one. His fianc?e does not know that he is a homosexual and she is extremely pious and does not wish to have sex before marriage.
Sentinelle is in fact relieved that she does not pressure him to have a sexual relationship with her as of now. However acceptance in the society and the stigma against gays are not the only reasons why he has opted to get married. He is extremely fond of children and wants to have a family of his own which is why he wants to get married. ?I will not resort to adoption when I can have children of my own. I want to have children with my wife?, he says. At the same time, he is also has a relationship with a married man.
Homosexuality is still illegal
The three young men are forced to guard the secret of their true sexual orientation, because of fear of both societal and legal complications. In fact, article 347 of the Cameroonian Penal Code states: ?Whoever has sexual relations with a person of the same sex shall be punished with imprisonment, ranging from six months to five years and with a fine of between 20,000 and 200,000 CFA Francs (between 24,50 and 245 euros)?.
Coordinator of Paemh (Projet d?assistance et d?encadrement des minorities sexuelles or Project for assistance and guidance for sexual minorities), St?phane Koche, reveals that, on authority of this article, ?200 people, on average, are arbitrarily arrested and detained every year in Cameroon?. Meanwhile, homosexuals can just hope and pray that there will be day not too far in future where there will be a legalization of homosexuality in the country.
Short URL: http://news.cameroon-today.com/?p=5810
Source: http://news.cameroon-today.com/cameroon-human-rights-news-homosexuality-is-a-crime-in-cameroon/5810/
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