Alternatives Cameroun is a beacon of hope for the Cameroonian lesbian and gay community; as the first gay resource center of its kind, Alternatives Cameroun advocates for the basic human rights of gay individuals in the central African country. Yves Yomb, executive director of Alternatives Cameroun, relays what it feels like to be gay in Cameroon, comparing it to living on another planet. In Cameroon, people worry about the very real possibility of harassment and even death threats—simply for being gay. Current Cameroonian law enforces a five year sentence in prison for “engaging in homosexual intercourse.”

Despite the obvious perils of being openly and unapologetically gay in Cameroon, Born This Way illustrates the other, more positive side of this as the documentary includes many interviews with courageous, out lesbian and gay people. Take for example, Gertrude; she is a soft-spoken, self-identified lesbian woman who practices Christianity and works at Alternatives Cameroun. She is but one of the out, gay subjects of the documentary. Against all odds, Gertrude and those like her in the film provide a lived testimony about modern gay identity in Cameroon—one that suggests that filmmakers Kadlec and Tullman have captured footage of a country moving in an encouraging social direction.