Cameroonian Lawyer Alice Nkom Vows to Continue Defending LGBT Rights Despite Threats and Government Pressure

Alice Nkom, an 80-year-old veteran Cameroonian lawyer, remains steadfast in her mission to protect the rights of homosexual individuals, despite facing public vilification, threats, and Government opposition.

Nkom, who runs a human rights NGO, Redhac, has been accused of money laundering and supporting terrorism, charges she denies. Her advocacy for the LGBT community has made her a target, but she continues to challenge the laws criminalising homosexuality in Cameroon.
Since founding the Association for the Defence of Homosexuality (Adefho) in 2003, Nkom has defended many LGBT individuals, including prominent cases like that of transgender celebrity Shakiro in 2021.
Despite personal threats and the ongoing societal stigma, Nkom remains resolute, stating that freedom from discrimination should be a fundamental right, transcending the country’s penal code.
Nkom, who became Cameroon’s first black female lawyer in 1969, views her work as an extension of her broader human rights advocacy. While the situation for LGBT individuals in Cameroon has worsened, with a recent song inciting violence against them, Nkom finds hope in the recent public coming-out of President Biya’s daughter, Brenda Biya, and plans to use it to challenge the law further.

For Nkom, this is just another challenge in her decades-long battle for equality, and she remains committed to her cause.” he concluded.

About Geraldine Boechat 2989 Articles
Senior Editor for Medafrica Times and former journalist for Swiss National Television. former NGO team leader in Burundi and Somalia