LGBTQ+ activist Jorge Diaz-Johnston was found dead in a Florida landfill earlier this week.
On 3 January, Jorge – a beloved figure in the local LGBTQ+ community – was reported missing at the start of the month.
After a five day search, the Tallahassee Police found his body face down in the local landfill.
Since the discovery, authorities have ruled the 54-year-old’s death as a homicide – possibly due to foul play.
Jorge’s husband Don opened up about his painful loss in a statement to Facebook.
“There are just no words for the loss of my beloved husband Jorge Isaias Diaz-Johnston. I can’t stop crying as I try and write this,” he wrote.
“But he meant so much to all of you as he did to me. So I am fighting through the tears to share with you our loss of him.
“Please share the news with everyone you can. He touched so many people with his kind and generous heart.
“It seems impossible to even fathom how to tell them all. But if you want to help, that is how you can. By sharing the best of him with each other.”
Throughout his life, Jorge was a fierce activist for LGBTQ+ rights.
In 2014, he, his husband and five other couples sued the Miami-Dade Country clerk office for not allowing them to get married.
In the end, the court ruled the anti-LGBTQ+ law was unconstitutional, resulting in same-sex marriage becoming legal in Florida.
The landmark decision also came a year before marriage equality was legalised across all 50 states by the Supreme Court.
The Miami-Dade community members have since expressed their grief over Jorge’s death in numerous social media tributes.
Taking to Twitter, the county’s mayor Levine Cava described him as a “leader and fighter.”
“In Jorge Diaz-Johnston, we lost a champion, a leader, and a fighter for our LGBTQ community. His tragic loss will be felt profoundly by all who loved him, as we honour his life and legacy,” she wrote.
Jorge’s brother Manny Diaz echoed similar sentiments in his own Twitter statement.
“I am profoundly appreciative of the outpouring of support shown to me, my brother-in-law Don, and my family after the loss of my brother, Jorge Diaz-Johnston,” he tweeted.
“My brother was such a special gift to this world whose heart and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come.”
A virtual funeral for the inspirational figure is set to be held in the near future.
In Jorge Diaz-Johnston, we lost a champion, a leader, and a fighter for our LGBTQ community. His tragic loss will be felt profoundly by all who loved him, as we honor his life and legacy.
My deepest condolences go out to the Diaz family & Jorge’s husband at this difficult time. https://t.co/KVO6rPR6Wg
— Daniella Levine Cava (@LevineCava) January 13, 2022
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