Hate crimes vigil to be held on Lincoln Road for slain gay teens


Steve Routhaus reports: Wire Magazine, Equality Florida and Unity Coalition will hold a vigil Wednesday evening on Lincoln Road in memory of Jorge Steven López Mercado (left), the 19-year-old Puerto Rican found decapitated on Nov. 13 and Jason Mattison (right), a 15-year old gay boy recently raped and murdered in his aunt’s Baltimore home. The official press release reads:
Hate Crimes Vigil to be Held in Honor of Murdered Gay Teens

In Memory of Jorge Steven Lopez & Jason Mattison

WHAT: On Saturday, November 13, 2009 police found the burned, beaten, dismembered and decapitated body of a gay 19-year old by the name of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. Due to his homosexuality he had been brutally murdered by a 26 year-old father of four. To make matters worse, the lead investigator publicly stated to the media that as someone who chose to live this lifestyle, Jorge should have expected something like this to happen.

Unfortunately Obama’s latest hate crimes legislation has resulted in the FBI only “monitoring” the investigation, and refusing to act, while local officers blame the victim.

Wire Magazine, Equality Florida, and Unity Coalition are organizing a Hate Crimes vigil in response to the recent brutal murders in Baltimore, where a 15-year old gay boy was recently raped and stabbed, Puerto Rico, and to shine a spotlight on the growing violence here in Florida.

The Federal Hate Crimes law passage has not slowed the murders of LGBT people. It is an important first step but change will come when society challenges the idea that gay bashing and trans murders are no big deal. Case in point: Hate violence against LGBT Floridians has grown 33% year after year in Florida in the most violent categories - what the FBI calls overkill.

Yet, the Attorney General releases the Hate Crimes report without a mention of these staggering increases. Instead he focuses on the decrease in every other category.

During the candle light vigil, members of the GLBT community and allies, including a number of local politicians and leaders, will gather to honor Jorge Steven Lopez and Jason Mattison, and urge local policy makers to send a message to the U.S. Attorney General to require the FBI to take over the investigations of both murders.

WHEN:
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Euclid Circle, Lincoln Road, Miami Beach

WHO:
Thomas Barker of Wire Magazine and Gay Business Enhancement Committee of Miami Beach, Stratton Politzer of Equality Florida, and Herb Sosa of Unity Coalition

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