💬 NEW! Join Equaldex's LGBTQ+ Discord to discuss LGBT rights and chat!
Regions  ▸  Africa

LGBT Rights in Cameroon

    Homosexuality
    ⚢
    ✖ Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
    Gay Marriage
    ⚭
    ✖ Not legal
    Censorship
    ✖ State-enforced
    Changing Gender
    ✖ Illegal
    Non-binary gender recognition
    ✖ Not legally recognized
    Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Employment Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Housing Discrimination
    ✖ No protections
    Adoption
    ✖ Illegal
    Military
    ✖ Illegal
    Donating Blood
    ✔ Legal
    Conversion Therapy
    ✖ Not banned
    Age of Consent
    N/A

Public Opinion

Suggest Public Opinion Data

Recent studies in Cameroon indicate societal resistance to LGBTQ+ rights.

History

Homosexual activity in Cameroon

?

Homosexual activity in Cameroon is illegal (imprisonment as punishment).

Current status
Since Nov 12, 1967
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Up to 5 years imprisonment and/or 200,000 franc fine.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
glapn.org/sodomylaws/world/…
thenation.com/article/17863…
Added by chris  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Nov 12, 1967–Sep 17, 2018
Male illegal, female legal
Six months to 5 years in prison and a fine of 20,000-200,000 CFA. Not enforced.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
lgbt-rights-hrw.silk.co/
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex marriage in Cameroon

?

Same-sex marriage in Cameroon is not legal.

Current status
Since Nov 12, 1967
Not legal
Homosexuality is illegal in Cameroon.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
glapn.org/sodomylaws/world/…
Added by danlev  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Cameroon

?

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Cameroon is state-enforced.

Current status
Since 2016
State-enforced
Section 264 of the Penal Code (2016) criminalises the public utterance of any “immoral speech” and the drawing of the public’s attention to any “occasion of immorality”. In light of the criminalisation of same-sex intimacy, a legal scholar has suggested that a publicly uttered speech advocating “unnatural sexual indulgence” would be considered “immoral”.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_Wor… (page 146)
Added by equaldex  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Right to change legal gender in Cameroon

?

Right to change legal gender in Cameroon is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Gender marker change is not possible in Cameroon. Transgender and gender diverse people are de facto criminalised.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_Wor… (page 27)
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Cameroon

?

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Cameroon is not legally recognized.

Current status
Not legally recognized
The option of identifying as “non-binary/intersex/gender non-conforming” is not available.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
state.gov/reports/2022-coun…
Added by Markissik  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT discrimination in Cameroon

?

LGBT discrimination in Cameroon is no protections.

Current status
Since Jun 2, 1972
No protections
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
confinder.richmond.edu/admi…
Added by vviet93  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT employment discrimination in Cameroon

?

LGBT employment discrimination in Cameroon is no protections.

Current status
Since Jun 2, 1972
No protections
No protections because homosexuality is still illegal.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT housing discrimination in Cameroon

?

LGBT housing discrimination in Cameroon is no protections.

Current status
Since Jun 2, 1972
No protections
Homosexuality is illegal there.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Same-sex adoption in Cameroon

?

Same-sex adoption in Cameroon is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
No laws in place for same sex couples.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
glapn.org/sodomylaws/world/…
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Serving openly in military in Cameroon

?

Serving openly in military in Cameroon is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
Homosexuality is currently illegal.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
(See sources listed for homosexual activity.)
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Blood donations by MSMs in Cameroon

?

Blood donations by MSMs in Cameroon is legal.

Current status
Legal
No restrictions that I know of.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Conversion therapy in Cameroon

?

Conversion therapy in Cameroon is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
According to the ILGA World, there's no ban on conversion therapy in Cameroon.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
ilga.org/downloads/ILGA_Wor… (page 325)
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

Equal age of consent in Cameroon

?

Equal age of consent in Cameroon is n/a.

Current status
N/A
Homosexuality is illegal.
Details  ·  Accurate? Yes No
Sources:
Homosexuality is illegal.
Added by Ausyk  ·  0 accurate votes  ·  Report Error  ·  Log

LGBT Rights by Region

View the LGBT laws in each individual region of Cameroon.

    Equality Index ?
    10 / 100
    Legal Rights
    8 / 100
    Public Opinion
    11 / 100

    Equality Rank

    View All
    #242
    Interest Rank based on Equaldex traffic ?

    Top Contributors

    Cameroon LGBT Organizations

    There are no organizations listed in Cameroon. Suggest one

    Share Region

    Map of Cameroon
    LGBT Cameroon Flag
    LGBT Cameroon Flag

    Compare Cameroon

    57
    Angola Flag

    Compare with
    Angola

    31
    Central African Republic Flag

    Compare with
    Central African Republic

    18
    Chad Flag

    Compare with
    Chad

    21
    Democratic Republic of the Congo Flag

    Compare with
    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    47
    Equatorial Guinea Flag

    Compare with
    Equatorial Guinea

    32
    Gabon Flag

    Compare with
    Gabon

    38
    Republic of the Congo Flag

    Compare with
    Republic of the Congo

    50
    Sao Tome and Principe Flag

    Compare with
    Sao Tome and Principe

    Common queries:
    • Is it illegal to be gay in Cameroon?
    • Is homosexuality legal in Cameroon?
    • Is gay marriage legal in Cameroon?
    Alternative names: Cameroun/Cameroon (local name)

    LGBT Rights in Central Africa

    57
    Angola Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Angola

    31
    Central African Republic Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Central African Republic

    18
    Chad Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Chad

    21
    Democratic Republic of the Congo Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Democratic Republic of the Congo

    47
    Equatorial Guinea Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Equatorial Guinea

    32
    Gabon Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Gabon

    38
    Republic of the Congo Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Republic of the Congo

    50
    Sao Tome and Principe Flag

    LGBT Rights in
    Sao Tome and Principe