FannyAnn Viola Eddy (14 June 1974 – 29 September 2004) was a Sierra Leonean LGBT activist who founded the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay Association (SSLGA) in 2002, the country's first LGBT organisation. Eddy advocated for LGBT rights in Sierra Leone as well as throughout Africa, and in April 2004 addressed the United Nations in Geneva to advocate for the passing of the Brazilian Resolution. At the time of her death, Eddy had a 10-year-old son, Valentine, and a partner, Esther Chikalipa.
Shortly before her death, Eddy became a founding member of the Coalition of African Lesbians.
Legacy
Following her death, Human Rights Watch described Eddy as "a person of extraordinary bravery and integrity", and called on the Sierra Leonean government to investigate her murder "fairly and fully".
Eddy's death was reported on internationally by LGBT media; The Advocate mourned the "silencing" of "a powerful voice", while Out described her as a "tireless" campaigner for LGBT rights.
As of 2022, Eddy's murder remains unsolved. The official investigation concluded that her death was not linked to her politics or sexuality.
Since Eddy's death, the SLLGA has continued to operate, now under the name Dignity Association. In 2005, the book Tommy Boys, Lesbian Men and Ancestral Wives: Female Same-Sex Practice in Africa, by Ruth Morgan and Saskia Wieringa, was dedicated to Eddy.
See also
- Violence against LGBT people
- LGBT rights in Sierra Leone