Homophobic Archbishop divides Cameroon

RNW, 21 August 2012, by Anne Mireille Nzouankeu, Yaoundé

(Photo Scatcat/Flicker)

  

The Archbishop of Yaoundé, Tonyè Bakot, recently described homosexuals as “corrupters of society”. A view shared by some Cameroonians and criticised by others, who believe that the Church’s role is not to divide but to unite.

“Archbishop Tonyè Bakot must stop excluding people,” says Stéphane Koche, the vice-president of Association for the Defence of Homosexuals in Cameroon (ADHEFO).

Speaking during a mass last week to celebrate the Catholic Holy Day of the Assumption, Bakot claimed homosexuality was growing in Cameroon and was condemned by the Catholic Church. He went on to describe homosexuals as “corrupters of society,” comparing them to paedophiles.

"An insult"

It seems Bakot’s sermon was intended to be a celebration of women and the family. (The Assumption is a feast in honour of the mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, an important figure in Roman Catholic theology.) Homosexuality is “an insult to family, an enemy to women and creation,” he said.

Serge Douomong, the secretary of the Affirmative Action Association, which deals with HIV/AIDS and other health issues in Cameroon, disagrees. “If homosexuality was a threat to procreation, the human species would have been extinct a long time ago because the practice has existed for ages,” he says.

No pretext

34-year-old businessman Idriss Mangoa admits he is a homophobe, but he still thinks women should not be used as a pretext to voice anti-gay sentiments. “Is the role of women limited to procreation? Is a barren woman then less of a woman?” he asks.

Arguments used by the Archbishop are echoed among many young people. “Homosexuality is a danger to the family structure. Homosexuals want to adopt children but who do they think is going to make babies for them to adopt?” asks Jacques Nsangou, a young student.

Olivier Ekoman, a medical student, has a more moderate view. “As a devout Catholic, I can only follow the position of the Church, which is against homosexuality. However, homosexuals can adopt children, as studies have shown that children raised by gay parents are psychologically as normal as children raised by heterosexual parents.”

Not a first

Transvestites and transgenders didn’t escape Bakot’s condemnation. He described them as “a disgrace and a disrespectful criticism of God who chose to create us male or female.”

It is not the first time Archbishop Bakot has spoken out against gays. He had previously claimed gays were responsible for unemployment because only young men who were willing to have sex with senior government officials were given jobs.

Douomong, from ACT, says statements like the Archbishop’s only reinforce the stigmatisation of homosexuals and can have serious consequences. “This can lead to an increase in the HIV rate, as gay men will not find the courage to come out. As a result, it will be more difficult to treat them.”

Role of the Church

This debate on homosexuality is raising serious questions about the role of the Church itself in Cameroon. “The Church’s role is to promote harmony and peace,” says Douomong. “Christ himself used to reach out to those considered to be bad. Even if homosexuality is evil as some believe, the Church should not be promoting rejection and division instead of unity.”

ADHEFO’s Vice-President, Koche: “God never said to love your fellow men except homosexuals. It’s a pity that a clergyman preaches exclusion and stigmatisation instead of uniting the people. He should not use a segment of the population as scapegoats for society’s problems.”

Homosexuality is considered a crime in Cameroon. Same-sex relations are punished by six months to five years imprisonment and a fine of between 20,000 and 200,000 CFA francs (30 and 300 Euros). The average monthly salary in Cameroon is around 28,000 CFA francs.

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