I am Christian Kikep Nguemou, a proud gay man from Cameroon. I left Cameroon because of the life of having to lie to avoid persecution. In the UK, I did not come out because my circle of friends were from Cameroon, and I knew how they perceived gay people — but at least I was safe and conducted my sexuality in the closet. Some of my friends learnt about my sexuality, and it was at that point that I came out. One of my friends directed me to Out & Proud African LGBTI (OPAL), I met them, and they welcomed me as a brother. Since then, I have been part of the group and made many friends. OPAL has done a lot for me by helping me come out, overcome my fear and live my life to the fullest. I have participated in many events, podcast interviews, retreats, part of social events, and many others. [Christian Kikep, Cameroon]