Death of LGBTQ leader Charlot Jeudy in Haiti puts spotlight on discrimination and violence

Early in Thanksgiving week, Haiti LGBTQ leader Charlot Jeudy was found dead in his home in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. He was 35.

Concerns about foul play in his death, investigations are on since his body discovered on November 25.

It wasn’t instantly clear how Jeudy died.

Jeudy heads a Haiti-based organization that worked to defend human rights for homosexuals and transgender people in Haiti.

Jeudy, an outspoken advocate against homophobia — was forced to cancel an Afro-Caribbean LGBTQ community festival in 2016 due to threats of violence.

Charlot carried his message encouraging gender equal-rights for all people, not just across Haiti but over the international stage as a pattern for others to follow.

“We urge local authorities to continue a full investigation into the cause of his premature death,” the group tweeted last week.

Haiti’s LGBTQ community resides mostly underground because of a robust social stigma, but unlike English-speaking Caribbean islands, no Haitian laws are criminalizing homosexual relations.

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti stated on Jeudy’s “untimely passing,” his tireless advocacy for human rights and equality in Haiti and offered condolences to the late leader’s friends, family, and colleagues.