CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
At age 17, Steave Nemande left his home country of Cameroon to study in Russia. Little did he know he would also discover he is gay.
After eight years of study and obtaining his medical degree in Russia, Nemande found himself back in Cameroon, en route to a more bustling locale like Johannesburg for additional schooling. But something kept him in Cameroon -- he saw a need for advocacy and activism for the country's persecuted LGBT population.
Eventually, Nemande became the head of Alternatives-Cameroun, a now four-year-old organization that provides services and help for gay people in the region. While he was quite aware of his sexual orientation when he took the post, his family did not know he was gay until rumors about his new job spread to his father.
"Two gay men were arrested for being homosexual," he told The Advocate Tuesday, the day
after he was presented with Human Rights Watch's Alison Des Forges Award
for his work. "After they were released, it was unsafe for them to return home, so I invited them to Douala to relax. We housed them at my apartment, but because of the way they dressed, and the way they acted, people knew they were gay."
Finally, Nemande's father approached him and asked about the situation. He describes his father as being generally reserved, and when he came out to his parents, they understood and accepted him. Still, they feared other people's reactions.
"I'm very lucky for the support of my parents, but not everyone has that in Cameroon," he said, which is why the work of Alternatives-Cameroun is so significant. According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, the Cameroon Penal Code, enacted in 1972, punishes "sexual relations with a person of the same sex" with a prison term of six months to five years and with a fine of up to 200,000 CFA (US$416).
Furthermore, national and religious leaders openly talk about suppressing homosexuality to further "positive African cultural values." Newspapers have also flooded their pages with antigay editorials, and police often beat people they suspect of being gay.
With the promotion of such attitudes comes isolation and stigma for gay people. Women who marry men only to later be exposed as lesbians often lose custody of their children, and most lose family support as well, leaving them homeless and alone. Nemande points out that this also deprives children of their mothers. Some gay people also become subject to extortion on the part of neighbors and even friends and family."Let's say you meet someone online, and you decide to meet," Nemande said. "Then all of a sudden, a woman comes to the door, she calls the neighbors, and everyone comes to take your possessions and money, as a means to 'buy security.' And, of course, you cannot go to the police, because they will arrest you for being a homosexual."
But for LGBT Cameroonians, Nemande's organization provides some help when they cannot turn to their families and friends. Nemande was able to rattle off a short list of organizations with the same goals in the entire continent of Africa. While the group's funds are not plentiful, Alternatives-Cameroun activists provide legal aid, offer HIV outreach and education, and visit jails to hand out food, clothes, and cash to help people survive tough prison life, and the organization even pays rent for people who have become homeless. Nemande added that Alternatives-Cameroun helps people start small businesses, many making or selling clothes, tailoring, or running small food stands, in order for them to become financially independent. This is especially important as many parents cut off support for their gay children, who are then forced out of school and head toward a life of prostitution.
Alternatives-Cameroun is part of AMSHeR, a coalition of African resource groups in countries including Burundi, Uganda, and Nigeria, which have all made headlines for their ill-treatment of gay citizens. Nemande said he welcomes more involvement from the international community to help eradicate institutionalized and virulent homophobia in African nations. He urges those who are concerned to spread the word.
"Telling people about this kind of work has value," he said. "If enough people really know and understand what's going on, we can change things."
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Prince William's aversion to spectacle created one — and might spawn a King Harry
March 22 2024 6:24 PM
Outrage after Oklahoma prosecutor declines charges in Nex Benedict bullying death
March 22 2024 5:21 PM
George Santos leaves Republican Party, will run for House seat as independent
March 22 2024 4:07 PM
Catherine, Princess of Wales, announces she has cancer
March 22 2024 2:57 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedProhibition Wellness & revolutionizing self-care for all
March 22 2024 1:19 PM
Biden sacrifices LGBTQ+ Pride flags at U.S. embassies to pass 'critical' spending bill
March 22 2024 12:37 PM
Tennessee bill would permit anti-LGBTQ+ foster and adoptee parents
March 22 2024 11:54 AM
Plus
Yahoo Feed8 dating tips for gay men from a gay psychotherapist
March 22 2024 11:51 AM
Trans woman assailed during Kanye West's Rolling Loud set beats back 'bullies' (exclusive)
March 22 2024 11:34 AM
Out Congress members outraged as anti-LGBTQ+ bills advance
March 21 2024 6:59 PM
RuPaul shades 'masculine white gay men' who project 'internalized homophobia'
March 21 2024 5:43 PM
Alabama forces universities to implement trans bathroom ban while outlawing DEI
March 21 2024 3:55 PM
'Cruel' Nebraska senator investigated after using colleague's name in a rape scene
March 21 2024 3:51 PM
Police arrest Russian nightclub employees over drag show
March 21 2024 2:24 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedUnleash your fiery spirit with The Pride Store’s Aries gift guide
March 21 2024 2:08 PM
Cable news coverage of 2023 anti-trans bills lacked trans voices: Media Matters
March 21 2024 12:45 PM