From Towleroad:

"Over the weekend the brutalized body of gay teen George Steven Lopez Mercado was found by the side of a road in Puerto Rico. The police investigator suggested that he deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading.

According to an iReport by Chrisopher Pagan: "On November 14 the body of a gay 19 year old was found a few miles away from the town in which he was residing in called Caguas. He was a very well known person in the gay community of Puerto Rico, and very loved. He was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey, he was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso. This has caused a huge reaction from the gay community here, but its a difficult situation. Never in the history of Puerto Rico has a murder been classified as a hate crime. Even though we have to follow federal mandates and laws, many of the laws in which are passed in the USA such as Obama’s new bill, do not always directly get practiced in Puerto Rico. The police agent that is handling this case said on a public televised statement that 'people who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen'. As If the boy murdered Jorge Steven Lopez was asking to get killed..."

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Given the recent escalation in anti-LGBT related hate crimes, it is critical that our movement build a sense of urgency around ending this disgusting violence.

The ONLY reason why people think they can get away with slaying LGBT people is because they think society won't punish them.

This rally is happening simultaneously with the one in NYC:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=179256219695

We must show the government, the media, and the oppressors that to systemically target one group for its appearance or mannerisms--and then subject them to violence explicitly for those criteria--is INTOLERABLE.

There has been a call of solidarity with Puerto Rico's LGBT community through film, photography and any other documentation of vigils in the US.
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Murdered/Raped Baltimore Teen, Jason Mattison will be laid to rest Wednesday

Vigil For Slain Teen
Jason Mattison
Jason Mattison

A teenager from Baltimore who was murdered last week will be laid to rest on Wedneaday.

Fifteen-year-old Jason Mattison was raped, stabbed to death and stuffed into a closet Inside of a home in East Baltimore.

People who knew him say Mattison was a young man with a bright future. He attended the Vivien Thomas Medical Arts Academy in West Baltimore, which is a high school that prepares kids for careers in the medical field. Mattison dreamed of becoming a pediatrician.

About 100 friends and loved ones gathered outside the school for a vigil Tuesday night. ‘He made everybody laugh. When he came in the room everybody smiled. It's just, he didn't deserve it at all,’ said a friend, Keshaun Madison.

His English teacher, Ryan Jones, said as a student, Mattison was very focused,, kept his grades above average, and was well on his way to college. ‘He was not involved in any gangs, any violence, any weapons, it just wasn't him. He wanted no part of it,’ Jones said. ‘Take every negative stereotype you have about Baltimore City and the crime and throw it out the window.’

Police say Mattison was raped and killed last week by Dante Parrish -- who had been released from prison after appealing a murder conviction.

‘Jason didn't deserve this and there's nothing that he could have done that made somebody that mad that they had to do that to him,’ said a friend, Sashae Baker.

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In memory of Jason ...

The tragic stabbing death of 15-year-old Jason Madison Jr. last week, allegedly at the hands of a convicted murderer who had a forced sexual relationship with the boy in his aunt's home, brough a tearful letter from the victim's teacher.

The boy was found in his aunt's upstairs closet, gagged with a pillowcase and stabbed in the head and throat. A suspect, Donte Parrish, was arrested a few days later at a convenience store in Northeast Baltimore.

A spate of other killings this week has brought Baltimore's homicide total to more than 200 for the year, a grim statistic as we end the year. A map of city murder is here.

Here is the note from Jason's teacher, Ryan C. Jones (note, he uses a different spelling for the victim's last name):

Hi friends and family,
I am writing you this in hope you can do me a large favor. As some of you know, I lost someone very close to me this week. A student of mine was taken from us in a violent manner. His name was Jason Mattison and he was a 15-year old student, whom I have had the privilege to teach through his 9th and 10th-grade years, since he arrived on our campus during the summer of 2008.

There has been extensive news coverage of Jason’s death over the past few days. He was brutally attacked, abused, fatally injured and left for dead. His attacker, a 35-year old previously convicted murderer, has been arrested, and will meet his doom in one way or another.
However, I am writing because not enough positive things have been shown about Jason. As is often the case, the majority of news has revolved around the graphic nature of his death and the circumstances relating to his attacker. Too often, we hear news that a young, black male from Baltimore City was killed and we think nothing of it.

Jason was not just another statistic! He was a lively, unique individual who brought smiles to the faces of countless people every day. Jason was an above-average student, who excelled in many areas of academics and social life. He dreamed of finishing his career here and moving on to college, medical school and then to his own pediatric office. God, how kids would have loved his big smile and booming voice! You need to simply look at his exotic dress, flare for the dramatic in class and with friends and talk to those who knew him to understand what a loss we have all been dealt.

Jason was in no way involved with gangs, drugs or weapons. He spent his time after school doing homework in teachers’ classrooms and hanging out with friends. His nightly routine of chatting on MySpace is the same one any of our kids have, and the same one as kids all across America. But for as “typical” as Jason seemed, he was so unique. He hated normal! He was different because he could be. He wore his skinny jeans and fashionable sweaters and blazers because it made him stand out.

I’ve included a few pictures of Jason as a way to expose what a great child he was, and to allow those who didn’t know him to see more than the news coverage allows. In my eyes, this tragedy has focused so much on the negative and what is truly being lost is what a great child we had the pleasure of being around. It hurts me to watch the news and see a murderer’s face and story being told and not that of Jason!!!!!

Please do me a favor and honor Jason! I am asking that you simply forward this e-mail and pictures to everyone you know. I want Jason’s story to be told and I want everyone to see that we have lost an innocent child! And maybe more importantly, I want everyone to see how beautifully wonderful this child was!!!
Ryan C. Jones, M.A.T.
English II Instructor