Tag Archives: Puerto Rico

Easy Eternal Rider

At the request of the family of the deceased, a funeral home in Puerto Rico posed the embalmed body of a motorcycle enthusiast astride his favorite ride. Beyond creepy. (Tipped by JMG reader Chris)

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Trans Woman Murdered In Puerto Rico

Puerto Rican police report that transwoman Ashley Santiago was founded stabbed to death in her home yesterday. This is the second high-profile murder of an LGBT person in Puerto Rico in recent months. Michael Lavers at EDGE reports: Primera Hora reported authorities discovered Ashley Santiago’s naked body in the kitchen of her house in Corozal, which is roughly 25 miles …

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Killer Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado Found Competent To Stand Trial

The confessed killer of gay teen Jorge Mercado has been found competent to stand trial. Last month Juan Martinez Matos was ordered to undergo mental evaluation after exhibiting symptoms of what some said was a faked state of psychosis. Via Michael Lavers at Edge: “The quest for justice has begun,” Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay & Lesbian Task …

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Puerto Rico Governor Wants Marriage Ban

Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno wants a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Gay marriage is already against the law there, but he wants it extra banned just in case, you know, anybody sensible takes over. Gov. Fortuño told a group of religious leaders Friday that he plans to consult voters about the inclusion of a constitutional amendment that would declare …

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HomoQuotable – Ricky Martin

“As a defender of human rights, my goal is to find solutions for the injustices that exist in the world today. I am speaking about discrimination of any kind, whether it is because of race, gender, nationality, religion, ethnicity, handicap, sexual orientation or political affiliation. “SO I SHOUT: WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE WORLD TODAY? “I’m sure you all …

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Killer Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado Found Mentally Incompetent To Stand Trial

Juan Martinez Matos, the confessed killer of Puerto Rican gay teen Jorge Mercado, has been found mentally incompetent to stand trial for the time being. But is he faking it? Psychiatrist Rafael Cabrera urged Caguas Superior Court Judge Camila Jusino to send the 26-year old suspect, Juan Martínez Matos, back to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Río Piedras to keep …

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You Don’t Get To Kill Somebody Because He Is Wearing A Dress

In his confession to the decapitation murder of gay teen Jorge Mercado, Juan Martinez Matos (left) claimed that Mercado had been dressed as a woman in an area known for prostitution, driving him, he claimed, to murder Mercado in “gay panic” once he discovered Mercado’s true gender. But according to Puerto Rican activist Pedro Julio Serrano, those close to Mercado …

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Puerto Rico To Investigate Murder Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado As A Hate Crime

After an outcry from the LGBT community at home and here on the mainland, the government of Puerto Rico has agreed to investigate the murder of gay teen Jorge Mercado as a hate crime. Activists had called on US. Attorney General Eric Holder to intervene if Puerto Rico had refused. Via Michael Lavers: Puerto Rican authorities have agreed to investigate …

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The Funeral Of Jorge Mercado

Openly gay teenager Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, the victim of one of the most gruesome hate crimes in memory, was buried in Puerto Rico yesterday. Clip and subtitles by Andres Duque at Blabbeando. Get out a tissue. Get out two.

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Hundreds Gather At NYC Memorial For Murdered Gay Teen Jorge Mercado

Hundreds of New Yorkers gathered on the chilly Christopher Street Pier tonight to honor the memory of murdered gay teen Jorge Mercado and to call on the federal and Puerto Rican governments to charge his killer with a hate crime. A broad coalition of LGBT, Hispanic, and progressive groups were represented by numerous speakers who spoke in English and Spanish …

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Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, 19

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 …

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Puerto Rico: “Gay Panic” Defense In Murder Of Gay Teen Jorge Mercado

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 …

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Puerto Rico: Arrest Made In Gruesome Decapitation Murder Of Gay Teen

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 …

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Puerto Rico Pride

JMG reader Kurt sends us this photo of a bear contingent at the pride parade in Boquerón, Puerto Rico this weekend. Kurt says that the pride events in Boquerón draw bigger crowds than in San Juan. Yesterday the Puerto Rican Day Parade took place here in NYC, drawing millions and stopping traffic on the Upper East Side for most of …

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Money Talks For Puerto Rico’s Gays

Today Puerto Rico’s House of Representatives will vote whether to move forward a ban on gay marriage. U.S. Congressman Jose Serrano (D-NY) notes that such a move may imperil federal funding there. Serrano says that passage of such an amendment would put Puerto Rico among those groups that promote hateful and discriminatory measures which might not be seen in a …

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