Murder of Gay Puerto Rican Teen Generates Talk of Equality
YO! Youth Outlook Multimedia, Commentary, Various authors, Posted: Nov 21, 2009
Editor's Note: Last weekend Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a 19-year-old gay teen was found decapitated, partially burned, and mutilated and left by the side of a road in Puerto Rico. Gay activists were outraged when the police officer in charge of the investigation said, “Someone like that, who does those kind of things, and goes out in public, knows full well that this might happen to him.” Youth Outlook asked young people their reaction to the brutal murder. Here is what they said.
People Shouldn't Live in Fear
My first reaction to this story was "wow!" Not because Jorge was gay or because it was a hate crime, but I was shocked because the police in Puerto Rico said Jorge was victimized because of the “type of lifestyle” he led. It seemed like the police thought he deserved this treatment because he's gay. The police also said anyone who lives "this type of lifestyle" should know these acts of violence could happen.
Anyone leading any type of lifestyle should not have to deal with people judging him or her. Even worse, they shouldn't have to worry about being killed. If I were gay, I would not care about who looks at me or what people think of me. I would be the same Val that I am now: stronger, cautious, and able to handle my business on a daily basis.
In San Francisco, we have so many gay men and women. We even have transsexuals, transvestites and hermaphrodites. You might not know who those people are if you are closed-minded. If people were more open-minded, it might be because they had a gay alliance at their school, or even had a friend or family member who is gay. These types of relationships are important because they help straight people have opinions about gay-related hate crimes.
But I won’t be a hypocrite; I am not really fond of gay people. But I have family members who are gay. I don’t disrespect them. I actually respect them for coming out and being true to themselves.
Valerie Klinker, 19
We Are All Human
I think the gay community in Puerto Rico was very disturbed by this incident of violence. It appears Jorge Mercado was murdered because he was gay and very popular in the community. I think Latin America is harsher to people who like the same sex. Look at what happened to Jorge. He did not deserve this type of treatment.
Nobody in my family or close circle of friends has been abused because of who they are or what they have become. Among the people I surround myself with, it doesn’t matter who or what you are. Gay people are still well-respected in the community.
This incident of violence is a step back in the fight for equality. Jorge should have been allowed to be whatever he wanted to be.
I think we can make people more tolerant of gay people by showing that we all are the same. We are all human. It may take some time for everyone to accept this, but people are going to be what they want to be. Having more discussions across the world that show it is okay to date the same sex will help people become more understanding and accepting of sexuality.
Kendra Davis, 18
Latino Culture Isn't As Accepting
It was reported that activist Pedro Julio Serrano said the victim deserved his fate because his way of living --being gay-- is not right. It's shocking to hear hate crimes related to sexual orientation are still happening. I mean, damn, this isn’t the 1500’s. There’s no reason to put someone through that kind of brutal torture because of their sexual orientation. In my eyes, I don't see gay people as any different than straight people. We as people have the right to choose what color we dye our hair and what style is in, so what’s so wrong with being able to choose who we want to be with?
Considering all this occurred in Latin America, it's shocking, but at the same time, I can see why it happened. Being Latino and living in a traditional Latino home doesn't make it easy to come out of the closet. At least from what I’ve seen and experienced, traditional Latino families don’t easily accept things like being gay or even having tattoos and piercings. It's just not right because God didn’t speak approvingly about anything of these sort of things, so tattoos, piercing, and being gay are perceived as “devil stuff."
Not too many people I know discriminate based on sexual orientation because I live in San Francisco, one of the most diverse cities in America. If people can't accept the fact that there are gay people, how can we accept ourselves, and the things we do everyday?
Vanessa Vega, 19
Hate-Crimes Don't Solve Anything
How Jorge got brutally and violently murdered was kind of wrong. When I first heard that a gay teen got murdered, I thought, "so what?" That happens all the time. But when I read about how he was killed, I thought it wasn't right. I don’t think that being violent toward gay people is going to make all the gay people go away. Violence just makes things complicated. Hate-crimes like these just make gay people less open about their sexuality because they get scared about what could happen to them.
Gay people should just stay in their own communities and not go anywhere they aren't wanted. On the other hand, everybody, no matter what their race or sexuality is, should be able to go anywhere they want without being harassed. But that's not always possible.
Ricky Rollins, 19
Related Articles:
Puerto Rican Cop Accused of Bias in Gay Murder Case
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User Comments
Mike B. on Nov 24, 2009 at 09:43:32 said:
Edward Walker your comments are well put and I concur!
Kirk Childress on Nov 21, 2009 at 21:21:03 said:
jesse... again, i am in total agreement with your sentiments, as I was with those of Ms. Vega. The only problem was that I think that Pedro deserved credit instead of blame. Facts do matter.
Puerto Rico Resident on Nov 21, 2009 at 14:58:01 said:
The comments from the "young people" on this story are proof positive that they were spoon-fed the reaction they were meant to deliver. Everyone here knows that the police commissioner was referring to the fact that the young man who was killed was engaging in very risky behavior: a.k.a, street prostitution. Does this exonerate the murderer of guilt? No. But trying to twist the police officer's words into a homophobic rant against gay people is the height of dishonesty. And it's so typical of the shrillness out of the gay activist camp. Anyone who disagrees with their position is forever tarred and feathered as "hateful" or "homophobic." Get your facts straight, people.
Jesse on Nov 21, 2009 at 14:41:35 said:
Kirk,
No matter how you put it. This does not change the fact that Jorge was brutally murdered because he was gay. The "gay panic" defense is ridiculous. It is ultimately the religious right who proliferate this notion that homosexual acts are sins. Should they be held partially accountable?
The killer was looking for sex at a questionable place, one site mentioned that it was frequented by transvestites.
This is one of the biggest reason why hate crime laws should be upheld. Minorities who are weak politically have to fend for themselves. Even if it was a woman prostitute who got murdered, no one should have the gall to say "well, what do you expect?".
daTruth on Nov 21, 2009 at 09:14:19 said:
This was a horrible crime but please, GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!
The police officers comment was taking out of context... The officer was referring to the act of prostitution or going away with street strangers... His comment was not about the young guy's homosexuality!...
- Equal rights for everyone!
Edward Walker on Nov 21, 2009 at 07:51:52 said:
You have to put this in perspective.
The killer, Juan the troglodyte, picked up Jorge dressed as a woman, not as a man. The killer was looking for sex. He was cruising in an area where he could pick up a “date”. Jorge is dressed in a blue dress and wig and in an area where he can hook. Jorge ends up in the car. Jorge ends up dead. What happened during that time is a matter of conjecture. My own thoughts are that Jorge performed a sex act and when the guy realized Jorge was not a woman; well, he lost it. We know that he hates gays; he said so.
An excuse, a reason? Not at all. Had he just murdered Jorge and left him, this tragic event would be just so much ink and pixels, probably just a brief mention in the Crime Section. The beheading, body mutilation and burning takes us into dark corners, a place for no human. And that is precisely why this event has galvanized so many folks around the globe.
Would the killer have done this to another human being, not gay but heterosexual? That is what I believe to be the critical point here. Why the extreme reaction? Why did the killer give Jorge “special” treatment? First thought is that he was so repulsed by having been violated by treachery and had sexual contact with his same gender, that he felt the only way to “erase” this deprivation was to completely destroy and erase from existence Jorge’s presence. He needed to eradicate the source of his stain. He needed to violate Jorge and his body to wash away the sin of having sex with another man.
Would the gay community be up in arms had this been done by a woman that had been raped? I don’t think so. The mainstream would say “He deserved it, good for her.” This killer was violated; in his mind he was raped.
The police officer was referring to the life style of trading sex for money. Crazy and dangerous things happen in that crowd. The press did not mention all the small details of the case; only the sensational and horrid. His out-of-context words are the rallying cry for folks around the globe that feel this was an attack against their “life style”. Hypocrites. Cherry pick the blue M&Ms, why don’t you.
What is so offensive about this uproar is that it is because Jorge was gay that the gays are incensed and up in arms. This outrage should be expressed because he was human. Not a hooker. Not a nobody. Not a gay. Not an anything. He was human. No human should have this abhorrent and depraved action.
Jorge, RIP.
Kirk Childress on Nov 21, 2009 at 02:58:44 said:
regarding Ms. Vega's comments: Vanessa has got it right all but in one small fact that merits correcting. Pedro Julio Serrano is a gay rights activist in Puerto Rico who was essential in bringing this story to the mainstream US press. He never said that Jorge Steven Lopez deserved his brutal murder, but rather reported the uncaring remarks of the police investigator which suggested this horrible conclusion.
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