The politicisation of sexuality and rise of homosexual movements in post-colonial Cameroon

Abstract

The article analyses the emergence of ‘homosexual’ organisations in Cameroon. Originating in a controversy over lists of public figures ‘presumed to be homosexual’ published in three newspapers in 2006, it explores the link between a critical political analysis of the concept of homosexuality and the emergence of the homosexual movement in Cameroon. Two main organisations, the Association pour la Défense des droits des homosexuels (the Association for the Defence of Homosexual Rights [ADEFHO]) and Alternatives-Cameroun, cover different areas of activity, one concerned with sexual rights and the other with sexual health. Their connectedness to the international systems in which such causes are categorised is analysed, and it is suggested that this connection operates as both a resource and a constraint. The role of the actors illustrates the political tensions at play: these include youth, organised collectively, who publicly reject homosexuality. The article sets out to give a critical analysis of the issues underlying this confrontation by demonstrating that it is also influenced by post-colonial tensions and their repercussions.