CHRIS BROWN BACKS AFRICAN GAYS

Controversial rapper and singer Chris Brown has shown his love for gay Africans on Twitter.

On Tuesday, the 24-year-old star tweeted: “Love is not a crime. Gay or straight. Love who u wanna love.”

He added: “Stop the hate & sign here http://bit.ly/19BPAbF #Unity.”

The link is to an All Out online petition calling on Cameroon’s President Biya to do more to stop anti-gay attacks in the country.

In July, leading Cameroonian LGBT activist Eric Ohena Lembembe was mutilated and murdered in his home. Two weeks earlier, he’d publicly condemned the state’s inaction following several attacks on human rights defenders.

Earlier this year, Brown was accused of making an anti-gay remark when asked about his thoughts on bisexual star Frank Ocean. Brown’s entourage was also accused of using an anti-gay slur during an altercation with Ocean in January.

Brown later tweeted: “My Opinion on the whole Frank Ocean subject is ……… Love who u wanna love. It’s ur decision. People stop searching for BS…”

In June and July 2011, Brown was slammed for using the words “gay” and “faggot” to insult people; first when getting a parking ticket and then while watching a basketball game.

At the time he responded that he did not intend to offend gay people and that he had “total respect for [the] Gay community”. Brown was convicted for assaulting singer and his then-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009.