You’ve read the gruesome headlines about 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado’s murder. How the Puerto Rican teen was found burned, dismembered, and decapitated on the side of a deserted road in Cayey. But that’s not the memory his family and loved ones would like you to have of him.
tributes
Remembering the Life of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
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KleenexBoy
This brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe there’s 200 posts on gays debating Adam Lambert and OUT magazine while this kid was killed in such a horrific way. Where are all the gay commentators who frequently post here? Where’s your sense of outrage? Or you just want to snarky and snipe at each other? What an embarrassment my community can be sometimes. Shame on us.
Mike L.
This really touched me, I was just balling. I can’t believe there isn’t coverage of this greusome murder in the news. Maybe once PR becomes a state or something will the rest of America care.
I’m just reeling with anger right now! I’m not gonna take more shit from fam or other anymore, not when someone like Steve Miller (as he went by) is murdered decapitated, dismembered of his legs and arms and burned! Not when a 13 yr old child in iraq is made to wear women’s clothes on tape, and murdered b/c he’s gay! Not when Uganda is bringing forwarth legislation to make homosexuality punishable by death! Not when parents in the Philippines are made to sign documents verifying that their child is not gay before being enrolled in school! Not when ppl all over the world be they Americans or not are discriminated against, harrassed, abducted, tortured, raped and murdered for being GAY like ME!
We must fight for our civil rights here in the U.S. and protest those things mentioned above to our leaders for them to denounce too, but we must win our rights not just for us here and now but for those in the world who cannot and for those who are yet to come. Parents need to be held responsible for the mistreatment of their LGBT children legally (of course if they’re under age as the laws go)!
I have fam who make jokes about being gay and think it’s funny, but no more I will tell them NO MORE! It’s not funny when they don’t have to worry about being the next victim of harassment, discrimination in the work place or for housing, when they don’t have to worry about their relationship not being recognized by our country, when they don’t have to worry about being the next victim of a hate crime!
I’m simply fed up!
Everyone should take a few minutes out of their time to call their state reps and senators (be they D or R make sure you are heard) and the WH as well. If we lie down from this fight our opposition will just walk all over us and our reps wil do nothing if they don’t hear anything.
Mike L.
Sorry for my spelling I just upset and did not spellcheck 🙁
Ian
Re: #2 The news media didn’t care because he wasn’t a six-year old blond white girl in peril.
Mike in Brooklyn
So young, so brave, so sad.
It took 8 fucking years for chicken shit Democratic Congressional leadership to get the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act to pass — the last 3 years when the Democrats had control of both the House and Senate.
It is such a shame that Pelosi, Reid, Frank, and most all the others are as gutless chicken shits as gay bashers. If they had just half the courage of young Jorge.
Alas, only the good die young.
Mike L.
Thats the problem with democrats, they are just weak, unagressive chickens. The conservative party has oxymoronically adopted teh title of small governement and less regulation except when it comes to civil rights! So when the dems try to be agressive, the republicans start screaming gov takeover!
How can ppl be so stupid! Especially how can conservative xtians and catholics be so stupid as to believe both that small gov is what they want but they want BIG brother religion telling ppl what to and what not to do!
It’s not the Gov’s responsability to keep ppl from commiting what conservative xtians believe to be sin. That’s why republicans are for small gov, so ppl should do w their personal life what they want (at least in theory that’s what they said they were for). I’m afraid the Libertarians are what the republicans said they were before the conservatives took over the party. They should just split. It would be the Dems (regulation, social liberals[most], paid by big cats as well at times), the Reps (no regualtion, big brother xtianity, paid by the big cats in industries), and the Libertarians (no regs, limited power to pres, social liberals etc), and then there would still be the independents.
I don’t know.
Mike L.
I think every LGBT person should take defense classes and learn how to use a gun if incase they ever need to use one.
If someone’s gonna take me down, I’d like to know to defend myself or atleast take them down with me.
naghanenu
Oh damn..
That is just a sad thing to see. That boy was killed in a horrific way. May God bless that family and help them with this grief.
That said i am just pissed off. Why do people think its okay to hurt someone because they are different? Fine, the kid was decieved and thought it was a chick(if that’s true) but is killing the boy necessary? Was it really?
Our youths today need educating. Its time to teach them that different is not always a license for violence.
Mike L.
The prob is that ppl stop thinking of us as equal human beings they think of us as the OTHER, the nothing, the Different so they think that they have the right to do what they want to us because we are not their EQUAL we are less than HUMANS. If you see the history of discrimination around the world and in history of all the ppls that have been discriminated and treated the way we are being treated it’s the same story; they were the other, the less than human so they have this believe that they are entitled to treat others like the lowest of the lowest worse than an animal.
They are commiting in our case HETEROSEXISM, and it’s our job to show them that we are just as human as they are if not better!
That is why heteros have a problem with acknowledging our worth, our accomplishments; hence dadt, and all other forms of discrimination against us because they do not want to acknowledge that we are human too and not so much different that they are, and unfortunately other mo’s are encouraging that by hiding who they are or downplaying that side of them more than what they normally are so heteros will acknowledge THEM.
We saw this when Bill O was trying to make a big fuss about Adam, as though his being gay negates HIS TALENT.
We see this with equal marriage for gays, heteros don’t want want to legitimize lgbt people as being part of the norm of the whole human species they want to keep us as LESS THAN HUMAN so they can treat us they way they do.
As with DADT conservatives don’t want that reppealed b/c then Americans will be like “wow these mo’s are also giving their lifes for us heteros too, they’re giving their lifes for our freedoms.” Why? Because then the ball will keep rolling faster in giving us equal rights!
romeo
@ Mike L.: I’m with you on the self defense. I’ve posted that at this site before. We can’t go on waiting for politicians to care about us; we need to care about each other — and take this all more seriously.
I don’t know what part of town he was in when he was attacked, but I have read that there was a time when we had our own gay militias to guard the streets at night in some of the big cities. Maybe it’s time to start looking into that again rather then put our heads in the sand and pretend we’re all liberated and past stuff like that.
Mike L.
Romeo with you on that but unfortunately many of or bros and sisters act like we’re in a postgay era until they here things like this and then the go back to their lifes all complacent and not doing anything.
I’m just tired of trying to be liked by heteros so they’ll give me my constitutionally guaranteed rights! If only some of this stuff could go to courts but unfortunately the Department of Justice is not letting these thing go through, they want it to be legislated. Now last time I remember when things are legislated it take a lot of time, and then some places allow their voters to vote on their fellow citizen’s civil rights that just blows!
But as i said before every LGBT should learn self defense, it will safe lives.
romeo
And, Mike, learning self defense can also help one’s own self-perception. I don’t want to go all macho, but I was brought up with guns and know how to use them. And I’ve been in fist fights. Yeah, it hurts when you get punched, but it feels really good when you punch back! LOL
Mike L.
It does. I’m not advocating for violence (as you aren’t either Romeo) But we need to be prepared and empowered knowing that we ARE prepared if god forbid we are victims of such crimes.
Just being prepared, and knowing one knows self defense will be empowerin and not make ppl feel like we can’t do anything about being victimized.
romeo
Totally with you, Mike.
KleenexBoy
PLEASE, EVERYONE, WRITE PUERTO RICO’S ATTORNEY GENERAL, Antonio Sagardia, at [email protected], phone 787-721-2900, and let your voices be heard.
The FBI needs to take over the investigation. This HAS to become the FIRST hate-crime tried under President Obama’s new law. Puerto Rico is part of the U.S., it is our backyard, and many, many gays, live there. It has always been a welcoming place for us, and we need to show the government that we want to keep it that way. Governor Luis Fortuno is a young, brilliant guy, and he needs to hear our voices. This was a KID who was killed.
I WANT TO SEE FROM MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS HERE the same passion used to debate Adam Lambert or the Marine in porn guy or Chaz Bono. PLEASE.
Otherwise, WE ARE THE ONLY ONES TO BLAME. NOT heteros, not authorities, us. For being complacent.
romeo
Thank you, Kleenex. Will do.
bryan
WoW this just killed me. Not and emotional person but this shit is sad. My heart is hurting for all the friends and family. WTF is wrong with people. Cutting his fucken head off!!!!!!
I don’t even know what to say!
Keith Kimmel
“No. 1 · KleenexBoy
This brought tears to my eyes. I can’t believe there’s 200 posts on gays debating Adam Lambert and OUT magazine while this kid was killed in such a horrific way. Where are all the gay commentators who frequently post here? Where’s your sense of outrage? Or you just want to snarky and snipe at each other? What an embarrassment my community can be sometimes. Shame on us.”
Well, this frequent poster was busy attending multiple events remembering, celebrating and honoring the memories of transgendered and cross-dressing people like the subject of this story for the Day of Remembrance. That is, the dead ones.
Oh, and I was also busy talking with a group of people about how to get a queer community center built here. You see, they did it in their town and I want to do it here. Best way to get started is talk to whose been there.
Then today, I went to a queer thanksgiving celebration (where the subject of Jorge came up in conversation) and mingled with friends. It was also at this time I was working with members to get them out to the Palin Picket I am sponsoring, to try and dilute the hateful message people like Palin bring to our communities and spread through our media.
Finally, I was being gay. I went to one of our local bars, had some drinks with a group of friends and shoved money down the pants of a very cute little twink who proceeded to hump my leg in appreciation. You might ask how this one is relevant to the above. You see, one of the ways I celebrate and honor those who have been taking from us is by not hiding in shame and by living my gay life openly and proudly.
So I am sorry that I did not come here and post fast or often enough to suit you. But not everything happens on the internet and saying that just because people haven’t posted comments means they don’t care is asinine. I cried when I heard about this person.
In fact, I was the one who e-mailed Queerty the story. It probably would not have been published or would have not been here for a while longer had I not sent it in. I say this based on the fact that it appeared here less than hour after my e-mail. I also pushed it to several other media contracts who ran with it. This was before anyone was really paying attention to the story. I have also reposted the stores on Facebook, talked extensively about Jorge and taken part in several campaigns to get a meaningful investigation and get rid of the cop who had the hateful remarks for the press.
But thanks for painting me as an uncaring asshole who’d rather just fight petty arguments and doesn’t give a damn about those tragically lost just the same.
So fuck you and the self-righteous horse you rode in on.
alan brickman
Everytime you kill a gay person like this it is “premeditated”…the attitude to hurt gays is already a motive…
alan brickman
They’re not posting on here because they’re probably jealously bitching about the morning goods guys ….. again…
Aaron
It’s a lot easier to live in a fantasy world where Adam Lambert is somehow relevant and important than to live in the real world where shit like this is matter of routine. So let’s go ogle some dudes in speedos and proclaim Lady Gaga the queen of the gays; stick our heads in the glitter and just forget how hated we are.
I guess that’s why there’s only like 20 comments on this post. It’s too depressing and not fabulous enough to warrant attention.
Brian
Keith Kimmel: You are an idiot.
Keith Kimmel
No. 20 · alan brickman
“They’re not posting on here because they’re probably jealously bitching about the morning goods guys ….. again…”
Actually, we haven’t had any morning goods posts for a couple of days now as far as I have noticed… looking forward to my Monday Morning Twinkie.
YellowRanger
Tragic…
I saw Jane Velez-Mitchell talk about this on her show the other night, but beyond that the media has been damn near silent about this as far as I can tell. The fact that Sarah Palin’s plans for Thanksgiving are considered a bigger, more pressing story than this is a sad statement in and of itself.
Mike L.
I wonder if the killer planted the dress or wig or whatever they found with Jorge to say that he was cruising for protitutes and came uppon him, for all we know he killed him beforehand and then planted the stuff to make an excuse or something.
Who know, I only hope that the police there do their job and not be biased shitfaces.
Keith Kimmel
“Who know, I only hope that the police there do their job and not be biased shitfaces.”
Too late. Haven’t heard if the cop who pulled off those glorious comments for the press has managed to cling to his job.
NOexcuses
Wow, Keith Kimmel u sure have a big chip on your shoulder. And a big ego! What a nasty, asinine response to KleenexBoy. Should we give you a medal now? Get out of my face. You disgust me.
ABenNY
KEITH KIMMEL… Although I applaud your activism outside of the web, I must say that there is NO space whatsoever for attacks and violence in this forum. The ” fuck you” at the end of your response to kleenex boy only further perpetuates animosity and division and intolerance een between the walls of our own house. Such thing cannot happen anymore. Please, bickering, arguing, cutting each other off, calling names, and competing for who is beng more of an activist and who is being an activist on what is irrelevant and it only further diverts the attention to the real issue of this moment in time, and this tragic and horrific event.
Lets get over this hump, and now focus.
ABenNY
ABenNY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQGBrocXjXs
PeaceMan
Well said ABenNY, people like KEITH KIMMEL and their vitriol should have no space on this forum, particularly when the incident being discussed is so tragic. And as an alleged activist, he should be appalled at his behavior.
Tragic.
Jacob
I really want to take self defense lessons and i think that its important that the vulnerable should. Im a young gay lad myself but im against all forms of violence unless its for defense. Im going to apply for lessons by this week. Its important for the community to defend themselves and stand up for their rights!!!
R.I.P kiddo :'(
x
Melissa
I don’t know what to say in the face of all this suffering. Violence continues to be used to terrorize and kill people who are different — lgbtqt folks, minorities, women, disabled people, as well as because of religion, ethnic divide in a nation, etc… We must tell Jorge’s story to people we know, people who would not normally hear his story, as well as our friends, community, families. Witnessing and speaking the truth, however incomprehensible, violent or horrific, will give some power back in the name of those who are powerless now. VISIBILITY & VOICE – WE MUST SPEAK.
Peace for Jorge.
STEWIE MARTINEZ
MAN THIS IS ALL UKD , ALL OVR A FUKING JOTO, THIS AINT NO HATE CRIME, WE’RE ALL HUMANS N HAV A LIFE, WE’RE ALL DA SAME THINGS, SUKING A DICK OR LIKING PUSSY DNT MAKE PEOPLE DIFF. IF THEY GOT ONE!! THIS SHYT UR DOIN TO MY BROTHER IS FUKD!! HE DID IT FOR A REASON NOT BEKUZ HE WANTD TO!! OVIOUOSLY DAT JOTO DID SUMTHIN TO PISS EM OFF! N IF U THNK MY BROTHERS GAY THEN HOW DA FUK IS THAT A HATE CRIME IF HE WULD B GAY 2!! ALL U R STUPID TO THINK WE’RE DIFF MUTHUH FUKIN KIND OF LIVING HUMANS!!
STEWIE MARTINEZ
MAN THIS IS ALL FUKD UP, ALL OVR A FUKING JOTO, THIS AINT NO HATE CRIME, WE’RE ALL HUMANS N HAV A LIFE, WE’RE ALL DA SAME THINGS, SUKING A DICK OR LICKING PUSSY DNT MAKE PEOPLE DIFF. SHE BEKUZ THEY WULD HAV DA SAME AS THER FAGGOT ASS COUPLE!! THIS SHYT UR DOIN TO MY BROTHER IS FUKD!! HE DID IT FOR A REASON NOT BEKUZ HE WANTD TO!! OVIOUOSLY DAT JOTO DID SUMTHIN TO PISS EM OFF! N IF U THNK MY BROTHERS GAY THEN HOW DA FUK IS THAT A HATE CRIME IF HE WULD B GAY 2!! ALL U R STUPID TO THINK WE’RE DIFF MUTHUH FUKIN KIND OF LIVING HUMANS, ITS DAT JOTOS FOULT FOR TRYNA B PROSTITUTE!! CAN PPL EVEN DO DAT!! HE TOOK MY BRO TO IS HOUSE N IT ALL HAPPEND THERE! DATS Y DAT JOTO SHULDNT B TAKING ANYSTRANGERS OVER!!
Str8Edge
@STEWIE MARTINEZ: you are crazy just like your brother. how dare you come on here and defame anyone. you are disgrace. your brother is disgrace. you have no respect. you fucking low life. your whole family is low life to raise a couple bastardos like you and your brother.
i am shocked no one saw this guys comment and said anything.
this is a hanneous crime. there is NO excuse WHATSOEVER puto!
Str8Edge
@STEWIE MARTINEZ: you are crazy just like your brother. how dare you come on here and defame anyone. you are disgrace. your brother is disgrace. you have no respect. you fucking low life. your whole family is low life to raise a couple bastardos like you and your brother.
i am shocked no one saw this guys comment and said anything.
this is a heinous crime. there is NO excuse WHATSOEVER puto!