Gay Activist Murdered

SIERRA LEONE, 4 OCTOBER 2004 - Prominent lesbian activist, FannyAnn Eddy, was murdered while working late in the offices of SLLAGA (Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association) at the end of last week in what many fear was a homophobic hate crime judging by the brutal nature of the attack.

Eddy, 30, was found dead on the morning of September 29. While she was working alone in the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association’s offices the previous night, her assailant or assailants apparently broke in to the premises. She was raped repeatedly, stabbed and her neck was broken.

FannyAnn Eddy had founded the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association in 2002. The group provided social and psychological support to a fearful and underground community. Eddy herself, however, was a visible and courageous figure, lobbying government ministers to address the health and human rights needs of men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women.

In April she addressed the meeting of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. “We face constant harassment and violence from neighbors and others,” she told the Commission. “Their homophobic attacks go unpunished by authorities, further encouraging their discriminatory and violent treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”

FannyAnn's murder graphically illustrates her words. Zachie Achmat of the Treatment Action Campaign has called her murder "a tragedy for all human rights activists in Africa. ... This is a particular tragedy for those of us working in HIV/AIDS. Without aclear rights-based approach to human sexuality and sexual orientation, we will not succeed in dealing with HIV prevention, care and treatment". FannyAnn is survived by her 9 year old son and her girlfriend in South Africa, and will be sorely missed by activists and individuals across the continent..