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Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man

10:48 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · GLBT| New York City| Puerto Rico · No Comments

19 Nov 2009

This just came into VL’s email, sorry for the late notice pero this is especially important given how Latino clergy and religious leaders in the New York area have been actively speaking against equal rights for all. I am a firm believer that the rhetoric put out there, be it about immigration or marriage equity, has a direct impact on how people treat each other. When people in positions of power speak hate, hate manifests.

Puerto Rican, Latino Clergy, Theology Professors, Community Members
To Condemn Brutal Hate Killing of Gay Puerto Rican Man

On Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 12 pm, Puerto Rican and Latino pastors, professors
of theology and concerned members of the community will gather in front of the
Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Office, 135 West 50th Street, between 6th and 7th
Avenues, to condemn the brutal, hateful killing of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado and
pray for him and his family.

Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a 19 year old gay man, was found on the side of a road
in Puerto Rico on Friday. He was decapitated, dismembered and partially burned.
While a suspect has been arrested in the slaying, many disturbing and homophobic
comments from police officers and local clergy have been reported.

“The purpose of this gathering is to pray for his family and also to denounce the
bigotry and homophobia that would lead some people of faith to condone such a
crime,” said Rev. Dr. Samuel Cruz, a professor at Union Theological Seminary. “We
are also going to call on other people of good faith to stand up to such hate crimes
regardless of their beliefs in terms of the LGBT community.”

The religious leaders also want to make it clear that there are many Latino people
of faith who condemn violence against anyone regardless of their religion, political
ideology and sexual orientation and will be calling on all people of faith to stand
up and denounce this horrible crime.

WHAT: Puerto Rican and Latino clergy, theological professors
and community members to denounce hate crime and pray for victim and his family

WHEN: Thursday, November 19, 2009
12 pm

WHERE: Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Office
135 West 50th Street, between 6th and 7th
Avenues

Update : Arrest Made in Murder of 19 Year Old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado

9:54 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · GLBT| Puerto Rico| Violence| crime| youth · 5 Comments

17 Nov 2009

georgestevenmercado Just read this off of Pam’s House Blend and then read the original article off of Primera Hora.

A man was arrested in the early morning hours in Cayay, suspected in the death of 19 year old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado…an apparent homophobic hate crime…Sources say that the 28 year old man may have offered Lopez Mercado money for sex.

This case needs to be closely monitored for what may be the double victimization of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. There may be an attempt to paint this as a crime of passion, “gay panic”, and/or “prostitution gone bad” instead of the horrific act of hateful violence it was.

Organizations Asking Department of Justice to Intervene in Murder Case of Jorge Steven López Mercado

6:41 am By Maegan La Mala · GLBT| Puerto Rico| Violence| youth · No Comments

17 Nov 2009

georgestevenmercado Yesterday la Macha wrote about the horrific murder of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado in Puerto Rico.

Some organizations are calling for the intervention of the United States Department of Justice, especially in light of comments that the local police investigator on the case made in the media:

The local police investigator assigned to the case said to Univisión about the victim: “Someone like that, who does those kind of things, and goes out in public, knows full well that this might happen to him.”…Puerto Rico’s Civil Rights Commission and Puerto Rico Para Tod@s, a local activist organization, have asked the Puerto Rico Police Department to take disciplinary action against Rodriguez. The PRPD has removed the investigator from the case, but local activists plan to protest outside the territorial capital in San Juan on Thursday. They also plan to hold a vigil later this week.

The Puerto Rican government added sexual orientation to its hate crimes laws in 2002, but Serrano complained local police have not used it to prosecute those accused of anti-gay violence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced it will take jurisdiction over the case if local investigators conclude López’s killer or killers murdered him because of his sexual orientation.

Gay Rican Teen found brutally murdered

2:45 pm By la Macha · Puerto Rico| Violence| crime| youth · 6 Comments

16 Nov 2009

This news is just so sad and horrific and enraging.

ricanfoundmurdered

“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…”

May peace be with Jorge Steven Lopez and VL sends so much love and support to his family and loved ones during this horrible time. VL will keep you updated on any actions that happen.

Story found via facebook

So You Wanna Be Indigenous, Taino Edition

9:13 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Culture| Puerto Rico| history · 4 Comments

14 Nov 2009

When I was in 7th grade I had to do a project on an Indigenous community for school. I’m sure the project was assigned to me sometime between Columbus Day and Thanksgiving the way these projects tend to be. I chose the Tainos, the indigenous people of the Caribbean and specifically what is now Puerto Rico. I chose the Tainos not because I identified as Taina or even as Rican at the time but because growing up I can remember Puerto Rican coloring books telling me of my Indigenous heritage and I remember being told that my great great grandmother was a Taina. I remember feeling shocked and angry when in my research I read over and over how the Taino were extinct. How could that be? It didn’t make sense to me historically. I thought of stories I was told of people hiding from the Spanish in the mountains and intermarriage. Does intermarriage/mestisaje = extinction?

It would be for another 5 or 6 years until I really thought about it again. As I claimed my Puerto Rican identity and became an activist I wold come into contact with Ricans claiming Taino. My new found political identity made this complicated for me and now, settled nicely into my identity as Rican via Queens, NYC, it’s an issue I struggle with. There is a resurgent movement of Ricans claiming Taino. As the mother of an Indigenous daughter I think about self-identification and when it crosses the lines into appropriation. Can a colonized person appropriate from their own history/bloodline? I know I don’t feel comfortable claiming Indigenous Taina, even if I can pull the stereotypical great great grandmother that many people do.

I would love to hear people’s thoughts on this.

Via / Literanista

Fortuño Es Un Hijo de PU

8:17 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Music| Politics| Puerto Rico · No Comments

28 Oct 2009

I wasn’t a huge fan of the original song pero with these lyrics…..

…ok I could do without the chipmunk voice too and I feel bad for las putas cuz really even a puta wouldn’t want an hijo como el gov. de Puerto Rico.

Via / Cargas y Descargas

Really Great Report on Latino USA on Puerto Rican Crisis

9:01 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Immigration| Media| Politics| Puerto Rico| economy · No Comments

26 Oct 2009

I just finished listening to a really great report on Latino USA featuring two Puerto Rican experts, Juan Manuel García Passalacqua and Angelo Falcon. The two do a really good job, I thought, at explaining how migration from Puerto Rico has always been driven by economic crisis exacerbated by its colonial status. Given how badly things are going in Puerto Rico, Angelo Falcon and Juan Manuel García Passalacqua agree that a new wave of Rican immigration is happening and what exactly does that mean in a United States that has shown it’s anti-immigrant side especially when the haters, in the words of Angelo Falcon, don’t make distinctions among different Latin Americans and they certainly don’t ask to see papers when they unleash violence on our communities.

Already in Crisis, Puerto Rico Explodes

9:01 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Puerto Rico · No Comments

24 Oct 2009

On Friday, tanks at the Caribbean Petroleum Corp. facility in Bayamon, Puerto Rico exploded with the force of a small earthquake. As many as 15 tanks were ablaze causing immediate damage like blown out windows and longer term environmental damage like acid raid and ground water contamination. There are concerns about access to fuel and fuel prices as well as Caribbean Petroleum supplies much of the island’s fuel. But the governor said Puerto Rico has enough gas to last 24 days and 20 days’ worth of diesel.
Department of Consumer Affairs Secretary Luis Rivera Marin said 16 million gallons of gasoline were in transit to the island. He also froze prices at the level they were at 8:06 a.m.

This happens just days after massive protests on the island over pro-Statehood Governor Luis Fortuño’s handling of the economic situation including laying off about 25,000 public sector workers since the start of the year. The island nation presently has a 17% rate of unemployment with a substantial sector of the population living in poverty.

The cause of the explosions is being investigated but so far people are pointing to theories ranging from neglect to an accident to sabotage to “terrorism”.

NYC Events in Solidarity With Puerto Rican General Strike

6:50 am By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Activism| Labor| New York City| Puerto Rico · Comments Off

15 Oct 2009

NYC LCLAA

JOIN!

UNITY LABOR RALLY!
&
PRESS EVENT!

STAND UP IN SOLIDARITY!
TO STOP THE MASSIVE LAYOFFS
OF OUR UNION BROTHERS & SISTERS
IN PUERTO RICO!

DEFEND PUERTO RICAN WORKERS RIGHTS!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2009
12 NOON
CITY HALL STEPS

For more information – NYC LCLAA – 212-701-9400

NCPRR NYC CHAPTER SPONSORED EVENT

Thursday October 15, 2009

TIME

5:00 PM

LOCATION

Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration

135 W 50Th St.

New York City

Puerto Rico on General Strike Tomorrow

12:08 pm By Maegan la Mamita Mala · Labor| Puerto Rico| economy · Comments Off

14 Oct 2009

Puerto Rico has been feeling the effects of the global recession and its impact hits harder thanks to it’s colonial status. Record unemployment has been boosted thanks to pro-statehood governor Luis Fortuño laying off around 17,000 earlier this month, bringing the total number of people fired on the island close to 25,000. This has led to massive popular action in the streets of the isla del encanto and there is a general strike called for tomorrow, October 15th.

There are a number of solidarity events, especially here in NYC so stay tuned for updates.

Via / Global Voices

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