Tag Archives: hate crimes

Via Andres Duque at Blabbeando, the mother of murdered gay teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado shares her grief. (Mercado’s mother is pictured above with activist Pedro Julio Serrano. They are recreating Mercado’s signature salute, seen below.) “When my son told me he was gay, I told him, ‘Now, I love you more’. I want to tell the world that hatred …

JMG reader Sean Chapin created this clip publicizing the memorial vigils to take place around the country this weekend in honor of murdered gay teen Jorge Mercado.

Today is the 11th annual International Transgender Day Of Remembrance. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil …

Juan Martinez Matos, 25, is being held on $4M bond in San Juan, Puerto Rico after confessing to the decapitation murder of 19 year-old gay teen Jorge Mercado. The killer is claiming “gay panic” after he discovered that Mercado, who was in drag, was a male. Martinez met Lopez while looking for women Thursday night in an area known for …

On Sunday homophobic slurs were painted on Orlando’s LGBT Center and a nearby gay-owned business. The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Community Center of Central Florida — more commonly known as The Center — and a second nearby gay-owned business were targeted by vandals who spray painted with a swastika and the words “Gay Pawer,” “Die Fags,” “Go To Hell” and other …

Puerto Rico police have made an arrest in the gruesome murder of openly gay 19 year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, whose decapitated and burned body was found in a wooded area on Friday. Towleroad writes: Today, the paper Primera Hora reports that a 28-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect in the murder and and two vehicles have been …

Here’s local Tampa news covering the “gay panic” claim of USMC reservist Jasen Bruce, who attacked a Greek Orthodox priest with a tire iron.

USMC Reservist Jasen Bruce, 28, who moonlights as a beefcake model, yesterday beat a robed Greek Orthodox priest with a tire iron, claiming the man had groped him sexually and said “Alluha Akbar.” The priest, who speaks little English, says he was lost and asking for directions. Later Bruce recanted his claim that the priest spoke Arabic to him and …

Last night Pam Spaulding of Pam’s House Blend, Andy Towle of Towleroad, and Bil Browning of The Bilerico Project and I attended the NYC Anti-Violence Project’s Courage Awards, where we were honored for our work as “citizen journalists” – a term Pam calls “the glamour word for bloggers, don’tcha know, since we didn’t have PJs on.” We had elected Pam …

Two men returning from a Halloween event were assaulted by three men in Long Island’s Nassau County early Sunday morning in what police are calling a hate crime. According to Newsday, the one man captured told police, “God made me hate gay people.” Shouting an anti-gay slur, three assailants beat a man and his cross-dressing friend before stealing $7 from …

JMG reader Zefrog took the above photo of last night’s anti-hate crimes rally in London’s Trafalgar Square. Check out his Flickr gallery here. Via BBC News: A vigil for victims of hate crime has taken place in Trafalgar Square just yards away from the scene of an assault which resulted in a gay man’s death. Family and friends and thousands …

With the horrendous spate of brutal hate crimes seen recently in New York City, the important work of the NYC Anti-Violence Project has never been more vital. Please consider supporting them by attending Nov. 9th’s 13th Annual Courage Awards fundraiser. The New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP) will hold its 13th Annual Courage Awards on Monday, November 9, 2009 at …

Thousands are expected to attended tonight’s anti-gay bashing rally in London’s Trafalgar Square in a vigil for murder victim Ian Baynham. Up to 10,000 people are expected to take part in a silent candle-lit vigil against Hate-Crime this evening in Trafalgar Square. The event, organised by the facebook group 17-24-30, is being held to commemorate the homophobic murder of Ian …

Just as his assault trial was to begin, gay basher Joshua Holts was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge and now faces seven years in prison. Joshua Holts pleaded guilty Monday to felony assault for beating a gay man outside a Springville bar last year, leaving the victim with facial injuries that required four surgeries. As Erie County …

Andy Humm at Gay City News has published his story about Saturday’s rally in Queens for gay bashing victim Jack Price. Here’s what the counter-protesters had to say. An interracial group of about 20 of Danny Rodriguez’s supporters boldly demonstrated across the street from the rally with signs and chants insisting that he did not commit a hate crime, though …

Father Tony provides this video of Queens LGBT activist Marisa Ragonese speaking to the crowd at the Jack Price rally yesterday. Watch as Ragonese connects the dots between anti-bullying education and hate crimes.

This afternoon the Farmboyz and I traveled to the working-class neighborhood of College Point, Queens, far past the end of subway service, to attend the march and rally in support of gay bashing victim Jack Price. We were a bit concerned that the 90+ minute trek from Manhattan might hamper a strong show of support, but were very pleased to …

A coalition of LGBT and civil rights groups will join tomorrow in a march and rally in support of Queens gay bashing victim Jack Price. March and Rally in College Point on Saturday October 17th, step off at 2pm. We’ll be marching down College Point Boulevard from 20th avenue until 14th avenue.and then holding a rally at nearby Popenhusen playground. …

Two 17 year-old girls and an 18 year-old man have been arrested by London’s Metropolitan Police in the Trafalgar Square gay bashing murder of 62 year-old Ian Baynham. According to a Metropolitan Police spokesman, the girls were arrested at their homes in south-east London, as was the 18-year-old male. They are being held at separate police stations and will be …