▁life ▁in ▁prison ▁with ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁par ole ▁after ▁fifteen ▁years . ▁ ▁Re action ▁ ▁After ▁his ▁death , ▁the ▁J ama ica ▁Ob server ▁described ▁William son ▁as ▁" J ama ica ' s ▁most ▁prominent ▁gay ▁rights ▁activ ist ", ▁while ▁both ▁the ▁BBC ▁and ▁The ▁Independent ▁called ▁him ▁the ▁country ' s ▁" best - known ▁gay ▁rights ▁activ ist ", ▁and ▁Gary ▁You n ge ▁of ▁The ▁Guardian ▁term ed ▁him ▁" the ▁public ▁face ▁of ▁gay ▁rights ▁in ▁the ▁country ". ▁ ▁Tony ▁Had n , ▁a ▁volunte er ▁for ▁J - FLAG , ▁stated ▁that ▁William son ▁was ▁" so ▁courage ous . ▁He ▁never ▁stopped ▁to ▁think , ▁' oh , ▁I ▁might ▁get ▁in ▁trouble ▁for ▁this ,' ▁so ▁in ▁that ▁sense ▁he ▁was ▁very ▁self less ." ▁He ▁was ▁succeeded ▁as ▁J - FLAG ' s ▁leader ▁by ▁G are th ▁Williams , ▁who ▁informed ▁press ▁that ▁William son ▁" was ▁the ▁only ▁out ▁gay ▁person ▁in ▁J ama ica ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁courage ▁to ▁put ▁his ▁face ▁on ▁television , ▁I ▁was ▁very ▁close ▁to ▁him ... ▁His ▁murder ▁was ▁really ▁a ▁tra um atic ▁loss ▁for ▁our ▁community ." ▁One ▁member ▁of ▁J - FLAG ▁stated ▁that ▁" B rian ▁William son ▁is ▁our ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ". ▁Four ▁days ▁later , ▁J - FLAG ▁held ▁a ▁mem orial ▁devoted ▁to ▁William son , ▁which ▁was ▁attended ▁by ▁almost ▁two ▁hundred ▁people ; ▁the ▁mem orial ▁involved ▁personal ▁t ributes