New York City Council honors Jorge Steven López Mercado’s family

New York City Council honored Jorge Steven López Mercado’s family on Tuesday for LGBT Pride event at City Hall.

If you don't know or remember, Jorge was brutally murdered last year.

Edge on the Net reports:

Speaking through Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Myriam Mercado spoke about her faith and how it has provided her and her family strength since Juan José Martínez Matos stabbed López to death and dumped his decapitated, dismembered and partially burned body along a remote roadside near Cayey last November.

"The God I know is a God of love; he doesn’t make any exceptions," said Mercado, who joined her husband Jorge López, Sr., their son Gabriel López Mercado and Serrano at the podium. "He tells me we have to love our neighbor like we love ourselves."

Mercado told EDGE "with a crime so atrocious, it is important people unite in their pain." A judge sentenced Martínez to 99 years in prison last month after he admitted he murdered López. But Mercado said she remains grateful for the support she and her family continue to receive from around the world.

"We are very pleased by the support from people we don’t know," said Mercado.

Gabriel López Mercado proclaimed "¡Viva Steven!" after his mother spoke. Openly lesbian City Councilmember Rosie Mendez [D-Lower East Side,] who introduced the Lópezes, and Serrano both applauded the family. "

I am proud to be standing with a Puerto Rican family that has sent a message of hope and love-especially love," he said as he held a gay Puerto Rican Pride flag. "Puerto Rico is a place of love, of acceptance, of welcoming people with open arms. We are not a country of hate."

"¡Viva Steven!"

Juan José Martínez Matos pleaded Guilty for Jorge Steven Lopez's murder

This week, Juan José Martínez Matos pleaded guilty for Jorge's murder. If you don't remember, Jorge was brutally burned and murdered last year.

Juan José Martínez Matos, who had been scheduled to go on trial for Jorge Steven López Mercado’s death on Monday, May 17, confessed to the crime during a hearing in Caguas on Wednesday, May 12.

Martínez told the court he understood the consequences of his actions, and Judge Miriam Camila Jusino immediately sentenced him to 99 years in prison.

Jorge's mother, Myriam Mercado had this to say:

"We are able to find a bit of peace in this aspect, but it still not going to return Steven. But at least there is justice in Puerto Rico."

Jorge's father said this to the murderer:

"I want to send a message to Juan (Casper) and tell him there is hope in Christ. The lord has forgiveness for him, Irregardless of what has happened. God has a plan for him if he opens his heart to Christ. God will forgive him also."

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Justice begins for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado and Jayron Martin

Great news for the families and friends of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado and Jayron Martin.

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice has agreed to investigate Jorge's murder as a hate crime. This is big in Puerto Rico.

Jorge was horribly murdered by Juan Martinez Matos, who claimed Gay Panic.

Jayron Martin, the teen who was beaten with a pipe because he was gay, finally has some movement in his case. According to Rod 2.0, one guy has been arrested and possibly charged with an assault and a hate crime.

I hope Jayron and that teen gets some type of counseling for all of this drama.

Tnx to Rod 2.o for finding the info.

A Solid Video about Gay Bashing

Blogger Shawn QT and The Five Black Guys created a reenactment of hate crimes against the LGBT community. In lieu of what has happened in the last few weeks, I think this a great idea to get the word out.

We need to be aware and look out for our people.

Here is their video


Thx to Rod 2.0 and Darian for posting this

Christine Quinn speaking at Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado Vigil

Suspect arrest for Jorge Steven López’s murder

Some movement in the Jorge murder case:

Puerto Rican police arrested a suspect earlier today in connection with a gay man’s gruesome murder. Primera Hora reported authorities took a 28-year-old man into custody in connection with Jorge Steven López’s murder.

Pedro Julio Serrano of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force identified the suspect to EDGE as Juan Jose Martinez Torres. López was found decapitated, dismembered and partially burned in a wooded area near Cayey on Nov. 13.

Serrano welcomed the arrest.

"Even when everyone is innocent until proven guilty, it is hopeful that they have arrested a suspect," he told EDGE in a statement. "We’re grateful for the Police work that has acted promptly and we trust that the investigation digs into the hate crime angle and if it is proven that it was indeed bias-related, that the criminal is processed to the full extent of the law."

Hopefully, this will be over soon.

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Horrible Hate Crime in Puerto Rico

Jorge Steven López Mercado was murdered, horrifically.

He was burned, decapitated and dismemebered.

In an iReport, Christopher Pagan said:

I am writing to you about a tragic murder that has happened here in Puerto Rico. It has really only made local news simply because we are on this island, but you are the voice of those that are unheard throughout the world. 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

We have a gay rights activist in Puerto Rico Pedro Julio Serrano. Who does his best to defend these hateful acts, but the international attention is needed for this local government to wake up and give us the needed rights and proper justice to such hateful crimes. I You are the biggest beacon of hope in such horrific events to be made known.

This is sad. I hope they can find the murderer(s). Jorge must rest in peace.

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