Chris Brown likely surprised some this week when he offered his support to a gay rights campaign calling for action against human rights offenses in Africa.
Brown tweeted about gay rights Monday in relation to an AllOut.org petition asking Cameroon's President Paul Biya and other local politicians to stop anti-gay violence in the region.
The petition, which currently has more than 70,000 signatures, asks Biya to prevent attacks and discrimination, end the criminalization of homosexuality, and free all gays who are currently incarcerated due to their sexual orientation.
Brown appears to be on board with the cause.
The issue of homophobia in the African nation reached a critical point in July when lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activist Eric Ohena Lembembe was found murdered in his apartment.
The singer's response might come as a shock to some, seeing as how he has made headlines for using anti-gay language in the past.
In 2010, he called a member of the R&B group B2K a "#homothug" during a Twitter rant. In June 2011, Brown aimed a gay slur at photographers who he thought tipped off law enforcement about his illegally parked car. The following month he was accused of using homophobic rhetoric during a pick-up basketball game. Last year, Frank Ocean told police Brown called him a "faggot" during a brawl in Los Angeles with the singer's entourage.
Still, the 24-year-old seems to be turning over a new, more accepting leaf. In June, he announced the release of a new single in conjunction with his "Unity Campaign," aimed at encouraging "all races, genders, sexes, (everyone) gay or straight to love each other."
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