IGLHRC Mourns the Death of Jamaican Activist
International
Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, June 14, 2004
Contact: Paula Ettelbrick
212-216-1256
Marcelo Ferreyra
Latin America/Caribbean
Regional Program Coordinator
+54 11 49 61 35 31
Buenos Aires, Argentina
mferreyra@iglhrc.org
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
mourns the death of long-time friend and colleague, Brian Williamson, a gay
activist from Jamaica found murdered in his home in Kingston last week. Brian
was a founding member of Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays
(J-FLAG) and one of the country’s most visible and outspoken activists.
While initial reports seemed to point to a possible
hate-motivated crime, activists in the country are now publicly indicating
that robbery may instead have been involved. In any event, IGLHRC staff will
continue to reach out to J-FLAG, monitor the police investigation and work
with local activists to ensure that a full investigation is conducted.
“Brian’s untimely and violent death is tragic under
any and all circumstances,” said Paula Ettelbrick, Executive Director of the
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. “The violent death of
such a public activist will always raise our worst fears—that his
outspokenness, courage and visibility as a gay human rights activist somehow
prompted his murder. We will do all we can to support J-FLAG and other
activists in Jamaica to ensure that the police conduct a full investigation
into whether his sexual orientation played any role in his murder.”
Homophobic violence against gay men, in particular, has
long been widespread in Jamaica, making Brian’s public visibility and
activism uniquely courageous within such a well-preserved climate of fear and
intimidation. Despite this climate, which was on display as a crowd reportedly
gathered at the crime scene to express its delight at the murder of another
“battyman,” the local media coverage was sympathetic, a sign of the
respect that Williamson had garnered through his years of advocacy.
In 2001, IGLHRC awarded J-FLAG a Felipa de Souza Award
for its outstanding human rights advocacy and, in particular, for the
group’s unsuccessful but unprecedented effort to overturn the country’s
sodomy law.
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