Brenda Biya, 26, shared a photo on social media late last month that showed her embracing Brazilian model Layyons Valença. The post was accompanied by the caption: “I’m crazy about you and I want the world to know it”, along with a heart emoji. It came despite the fact that in Cameroon, sexual relations between people of the same sex are illegal and punishable by prison sentences ranging from six months to five years. Activists hailed Biya’s “courage” in coming out. Alice Nkom, a prominent Cameroonian human rights lawyer who specialises in defending LGBTQ+ people, wrote on Facebook that the president’s daughter was “sending an important universal message of love”.