On Christmas Day in 2005, the archbishop of Yaoundé, Cameroon's capital, Victor Tonye Bakot, alarmed the nation with a sermon accusing the national elite of spreading homosexuality, stating they forced anal sex on young men seeking jobs. This sermon shocked listeners, especially since it was delivered in front of key national leaders including then-president Paul Biya. It represented a variation of long-standing Catholic church condemnations against Freemasonry and incited significant public reaction.
Freemasonry is depicted as a male-only organization engaged in secretive rituals that promote a moral order, having emerged in Scotland around 1700. It faced vehement attacks from the Catholic Church in France due to fears over its secular influence and supposed involvement in revolutionary activities. The sermon by Bakot generated a modern conspiracy theory connecting Freemasonry and homosexuality and drew new attention to existing sentiments against both.
After the archbishop's sermon, a media frenzy ensued, leading newspapers in Cameroon to publish lists of so-called 'prominent' homosexuals, fostering a climate of fear and paranoia around the gay community. This event marked the entrenchment of conspiracy narratives within the cultural fabric of Cameroon, further fueling the moral panic surrounding homosexuality and its supposed ties to corrupt elites and Freemasonry.
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