LGBT rights in Cameroon
| LGBT rights in Cameroon | |
|---|---|
 Cameroon | |
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Illegal[1] |
Penalty: |
5 years imprisonment and fine[1] |
| Gender identity/expression | - |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Cameroon face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Cameroon.[1]
Contents
Laws against homosexuality
Same-sex sexual acts are banned by section 347 of the penal code with a penalty of 5 years imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 to 200,000 francs.[1] More severe sentencing is likely when one of the offenders is under 21 years of age.[citation needed]
In May 2005, 11 men were arrested at a nightclub on suspicion of sodomy, and the government threatened to conduct medical examinations to "prove" their homosexual activity. As of February 2006, nearly all were still being detained, with trials scheduled in March 2006.[2]
Living conditions
Cameroon is a conservative society. Homosexuality is frowned upon. In 2006, a number of tabloids published the names of at least 50 very prominent people they claimed were homosexual. They condemned them for deviant behaviour. The stories boosted newspaper circulation, but were criticized by the state communication council for invading people's privacy. The campaign provoked a national debate about gay rights and privacy.[3]
A Cameroon court jailed Jean Pierre Amougou Belinga for four months for defaming Gregoire Owona, a government minister named in the list of 50 presumed homosexuals in Cameroon.[4]
See also
- Charles Gueboguo, a leading African Scholar working in LGBT issues in Cameroon and in Africa
- Joel Gustave Nana Ngongang, a leading African LGBT human rights activist from Cameroon
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ottosson, Daniel (May 2008). State-sponsored Homophobia: A world survey of laws prohibiting same sex activity between consenting adults Page 11. International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). Retrieved on 2009-05-05.
- ↑ "Cameroon jails two men for gay sex" PlanetOut Network. February 28, 2006. Accessed March 1, 2006.
- ↑ "Row over Cameroon 'gay' witchhunt" BBC News. Updated 6 February 2006, 11:43 GMT Accessed February 7, 2006.
- ↑ Cameroon gay list publisher jailed Ninemsn. Saturday Mar 4 09:23 AEDT.
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