A posed portrait of 25 year old Brice. In 2012 Brice was living with his mother. One evening, his mother arrived home from work and said angrily to him, “They just called me and told me that you are gay! Is that true?” Brice did not reply. His brother, who knew he was gay confirmed it to his mother. That same day his mother took him to an evangelist to “deliver you from the spirit of homosexuality.” He was brought by the Pastor in front of the entire congregation “to be delivered.” “Spirit of homosexuality come out of this boy!” the Pastor said, and pushed him to the ground. As he fell down the Pastor cried “thanks to the Lord – he is delivered”. To keep his mother happy Brice went along with the performance. When he returned home with his mother, she asked him “Do you feel free?” he told her that nothing had changed, the performance, to him, felt like a scene from a movie. The next day she took him to a Catholic Priest. There, the priest accused Brice of being a devil. Brice got angry and left. The priest told Brice’s mother that they needed to pray together. His mother continued to pressure him, in the name of God, to change. No amount of prayer changed Brice’s sexuality. His mother gave up and said “You have to choose – either change or leave!” Brice didn’t consider this a choice he could make. He always knew he was Gay. He felt he had no choice but to leave. “Since you have chosen to be gay, never contact me again!” His mother said. Brice has not spoken to her since. “I’m no longer close to my mother or some of my sisters. Maybe this is the price I have to pay for being gay”. Yaounde, Cameroon. December 2014. While many countries around the world are legally recognizing same-sex relationships, individuals in nearly 80 countries face criminal sanctions for private consensual relations with another adult of the same sex. Violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender expression is even more widespread. Africa is becoming the worst continent for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Queer, Inter-sex (LGBTQI) individuals. More than two thirds of African countries have laws criminalizing consensual same-sex acts. In some, homosexuality is punishable by death. In Nigeria new homophobic laws introduced in 2013 led to dramatic increase in attacks. Under Sharia Law, homosexuality is punishable by death, up to 50 lashes and six months in prison for woman; for men elsewhere, up to 14 years in prison. Same sex acts are illegal in Uganda. A discriminatory law was passed then struck down and homophobic attacks rose tenfold after the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act. In Cameroon it is also illegal. More cases against suspected homosexuals are brought here than any other African country. In stark contrast with the rest of the continent, same sex relationships are legal in South Africa. The country has the most liberal laws toward gays and lesbians on the continent, with a constitution guaranteeing LBGTQI rights. Because of this, LGBTQI Africans from all over the continent fleeing persecution have come to South Africa. Despite these laws, many lesbians have been victims of ‘corrective rape’ and homosexuals have been murdered for their sexuality. Homophobia is by no means just an African problem. In Russia, politicians spread intolerance. In June 2013 the country passed a law making “propaganda” about “non-traditional sexual relationships” a crime. Attacks against gays rose. Videos of gay men being tortured have been posted online. In predominantly Muslim Malaysia, law currently provides for whipping and up to a 20-year prison sentence for homosexual acts involving either men or women. Increased extreme Islamification in the Middle East is making life more dangerous for gay men there, as evidenced by ISIS’s recent murders of homosexual men. While homophobic discrimination is widespread in Lebanon, life is much safer there than Iran, Iraq, and Syria from which refugees are fleeing due to homophobic persecution. Photo Robin Hammond/Panos for Witness Change

Brice /

In 2012 Brice was living with his mother. One evening, clearly angrily, “They just called me and told me that you are gay! Is that true?” She said. Brice did not reply. His brother, who knew he was gay confirmed it to his mother. That same day she took him to an evangelist to “deliver you from the spirit of homosexuality” she said. That didn’t change Brice, nor did another visit to another religious leader. His mother gave up and said “You have to choose – either change or leave!” Brice didn’t consider this a choice he could make. He always knew he was Gay. “Since you have chosen to be gay, never contact me again!” His mother said. Brice has not spoken to her since. “I’m no longer close to my mother or some of my sisters. Maybe this is the price I have to pay for being gay.”

“I am called Brice, a young man of about 25, born in a christian family, I lived a peaceful life with my sweet and loving mother in the big city of Douala Cameroon in the years 2012. Our life was peaceful, calm and reserve but all changed suddently when two gay friends in my mother’s appartment when she has travelled. This left all the tenant in the knowledge of my hidden homosexual statut. When Mumy came back from the vilage, she was broken and destroyed, and after a good time she asked me if i entered in a witchcraft which i said i don’t know any sorcery. But she still believed my sexual orientation was a result of bad friends and their beliefs, that is how from a mistake i accepted her proposal to be relieve from my possession of homosexual spirit, that were the pastor’s words about the disease to cure. I described as a scene because i was beaten, pushed on the ground and stifled with water so that everybody can testify my delivery. I told her that all was a scene when she asked if i feel free. Her next action was to take me to a priest of our parish who was campaigning on local TV against homosexuality. He said to me God made no gay but if a man accepts himself as gay he is a devil.
Those words were more than what i wanted to hear from a priest, instead, i needed not to be judged but guided. During many days and months, i received ultimatum from my mother and one day she said you can’t imagine how I feel when i know that people are just waiting me to die to take you a scapegoat, i think it is better to change now. Take a look at you and be aware of the decision you have taken because God is not happy with you. But my worst mistake was telling her only God can judge me, I am guilty of no sin, it’s not on my fault because I have not chosen to be gay, I can’t change who i am because it is not on my will, God and only God knows why I am gay.”

Share this story:Share on FacebookTweet about this on Twittershare on TumblrEmail to someone