Nineteen Year Old’s Brutal Murder Sparks New Wave Of LGBTQ Outrage & Sadness
Four to five hundred people turned out tonight to pay tribute to Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, the teen who was decapitated, dismembered, and burned nine days ago in Puerto Rico. The event, hastily yet impressively organized, was one of twenty held across the nation today, and drew local media and local politicians and activists.
On the steps of Manhattan’s Pier 45, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn spoke eloquently yet strongly, condemning the brutal murder and the lack of action by Puerto Rico’s Governor. She, along with other speakers, directed the crowd’s anger to civil action and instructed mourners to demand this crime be classified as a hate crime. Others gently warned against civil disobedience.
Also attending the rally were New York City Councilman-elect Daniel Dromm and GLAAD’s new president Jarrett Barrios, who spoke intermittently in English and Spanish. Barrios wielded his appropriate anger with fervor and tenacity. Watch Christine Quinn speak here.
Here are some photos I took of the memorial.
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