d. 2004

I would like to nominate Fanny Ann Eddy the founder of the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association (SLLAGA) who was brutally raped and murdered in her office on the 28/29 September 2004. She had spent time in Southern Africa as a refugee from hostilities in Seirra Leone where she used her time to learn how to ‘mobilise in a hostile environment’ This is what she did on her return home, setting up SLLAGA.

Fanny Ann made a submission to the UN Committee on Human rights at the Geneva meeting in April 2004 which discussed the Brazilian Resolution, which would have acknowledged sexual orientation as a legitimate human right. In her presentation she highlighted the violence and state-sponsored oppression that lesbian and gay people face in many parts of Africa. She concluded:

“Silence creates vulnerability. You, members of the Commission on Human Rights, can break the silence. You can acknowledge that we exist, throughout Africa and on every continent, and that human rights violations based on sexual orientation or gender identity are committed every day. You can help us combat those violations and achieve our full rights and freedoms, in every society, including my beloved Sierra

When asked what her dreams were in an interview she replied:

“My dreams! I hope to see more women being liberated or stand for what they believe in and hope to see a universe free of discrimination, torture and violence.”

Jenny Cummings