Cameroon Jails Transgenders Solely Based on Sexuality

In recent news, a court located in Cameroon sentenced two transgender women on Tuesday to five years in prison for “attempted homosexuality.” They were sentenced for this reason and for other offenses such as the clothes they wore in a restaurant. Which is completely inappropriate and unjust. Senior Allison Brown said, “It's crazy that people would discriminate against these women for offenses such as clothes and their sexuality.” 

Many human rights activists say their detention is part of a increasing criminalization of sexual minorities and transgender people living in Cameroon. These two transgender women received the maximum sentence of five years in prison and fines of 200,000 CFA francs ($370) Senior Lizzie Kennedy stated, “It is unbelievable that someone could be sentenced for five years solely based on their sexuality.” They were also arrested for public indecency and failure to carry identification. 

Cameroon is still one of more than 30 African countries where same sex marriage has remained illegal. Courts located in Cameroon have previously sentenced people to multiyear prison sentences for homosexuality. Senior Allie Kennedy stated, “It is unbelievable that countries still discriminate against same sex marriages.”

These groups are completely taking away these human rights. Fifty-three people have been arrested in raids on HIV and AIDs organizations since May of 2020. Many of these victims have reported to be subject to beatings and later subjected to forced anal examinations. These forced examinations are inhuman and were used to confirm these accusations of homosexuality.