On 30 June – the last day of Pride Month – the 26-year-old shared a photo on Instagram, where she can be seen kissing Brazilian model Layyons Valença.
“PS: I’m crazy about you & I want the world to know,” she captioned the post.
Although Biya has turned off comments, she responded to a user who highlighted her father’s archaic stance on the LGBTQIA+ community.
Paul Biya has been the President of Cameroon since 1982, making him the second-longest ruling president in Africa and the oldest head of state in the world.
In Cameroon, being LGBTQIA+ has been illegal since 1982 and same-sex activity is punishable with up to five years in prison.
Biya reportedly responded: “Nobody will have anything to say because only love shall win. I don’t condone hate, I think the mentality should change, but it will change once the people are ready.”
According to the Cameroon Concord, Biya has been accused of being “political manipulator” as a result of her “controversial and provocative” social media presence.
Activists, however, have praised Biya for – in the words of Belgium-based trans activist Shakiro – “positioning herself as a voice for social change in a country where taboos are deeply rooted”.
Biya’s unapologetic display of her sexuality could be a “turning point for the LGBTQ+ community in Cameroon”, added Shakiro.
Alice Nkom, a Cameroon lawyer and LGBTQIA+ rights advocate, claimed that her post could lead to the repeal of the “wicked” law that criminalises same-sex sexual activity.
“It takes a lot of courage to be the daughter of the head of state of a country that represses homosexuality and to reveal one’s own sexuality in the best possible way,” she said.
“Your courage can be crowned with a welcome change even for those who do not have your courage.”
While Cameroon blogger and activist Bandy Kiki said she “loves this” for Biya, she highlighted the “harsh reality” that anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in the country “disproportionately target the poor.”
She continued: “Wealth and connections create a shield for some, while others face severe consequences.