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Candlelight vigil Sunday
November 18th, 2009
- Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, left, and Jason Mattison Jr.
Local activists are organizing a candlelight vigil to begin at 6:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, at the intersection of Cedar Springs Road and Throckmorton Street. The vigil is being held in memory of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a gay teen murdered last week in Puerto Rico, and Jason Mattison Jr., a gay teen murdered last week in Baltimore. The Dallas Chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network is participating.
Everyone is asked to bring a candle and gather to not only honor the murdered children, but to speak out against the violence that claimed their lives.
Bob McCranie, one of the organizers, expressed outrage that the murders have not gained more national media attention.
“This should at least be in the top five news stories, and none of the mainstream media are paying any attention,” McCranie said of Mercado’s murder, before learning of Mattison’s death. “A teenager has been burnt and butchered in the streets, and all we can talk about is how many lies are in Sarah Palin’s book, and why Obama bowed to the Japanese prime minister. It is outrageous and unacceptable.”
Tags: Baltimore, gay, Hate Crime, Mattison, Mercado, murder, Puerto Rico, rape
November 18th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
I’d like to know the response ot those like National Organization for Marriage, Rev Senator Ruben Diaz, Maggie Gallahger, Bishop Harry Jackson and Brian Brown, The Catholic Church? All can scream ” ALERT! EMERGENCY STOP GAY MARRIAGE” Where is the outcry to STOP THE INJUSTICE, THE DEATHS”? Nowhere, because they have a huge part in that injustice. Sure They will no doubt say the reguired old PSA standby ” We in No way condone such a heinous crime” OR ” Our hearts go out to those mourning” Blah blah blah…and get right back on the Christian Homophobe wagon to hetero utopia.
Likewise where is the media coverage? Its been all over Twitter as well as many sites, Blabbeando,Towleroad,loldarian,Cnn I report. Guess we”ll have to wait till everyone has seen Levi Johnston’s playgirl spread. Another whose “straight ” card gave him (thru sex) his more than 15 minutes of fame a la Kim Kardashian. But they’re straight. Lets hear it for save our children from gay influence America!
There are many Americans that are Democrats,Republicans,Christian,Muslim that are good , fairminded people. Most Straight…many not. Yes. In all the groups I just mentioned. Although everyone wants to believe ” Not in my religion, not in my race, not in my family!” Lets stop lying to ourselves.
It is horrific that Gay teenagers are being brutalized and murdered for being being attracted to the same sex. Regardless of the circumstances. Who in their self rightousness can say ” Yes terrible crime, but he had it coming for being gay” and praise the lord next Sunday? Perhaps the Rev. Senator Diaz Or Bishop Harry Jackson they are after all the voice of God aren’t they? Gladly they are not.
In the end it is up to us all, gay and straight, from whatever religious creed (or none) to do what is should be done and fight for our rights, fight to end hate, fight to end discrimination.
This is why I write, email and call my representatives, why I try to speak out as much as I can. For those like myself still living in this World filled with hatred and misunderstanding towards gays, and for those like Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, Jason Mattison,Jr, and Lawrence King.
Stand up and be counted..not only for your vote, your census, your donations, but for equality.
http://www.Twitter.com/TweetwithStone
November 18th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Jason Mattison Jr was African American. Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was Latino. Anyone want to guess why these stories will never appear on Nancy Grace? Hell, I’d be happy to see this covered on Rachel Maddow, or any national media source. I don’t even see the stories on The Advocate’s website. I’m so damn tired of hearing about Sarah Palin’s book. American teens are being butchered in the streets.
How many more GLBT folks have to die? We now have National Hate Crimes law. Let’s pull it out and use it!!!
November 18th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
This is what religion has done! Religion has motivated PEOPLE WHO HAVE INTERNALIZED A GOD WHO HATE GAYS to MURDER innocent children to because of their sexuality. These people are depraved! I am really heartbroken and incensed that TWO murders have occured and that there is no outtcry from the American media! WHY AREN’T YOU ANGRY?!! When we can focus more on “New Moon” or the playboy pics with Levi Johnston,then I know that our society has sunk to a deeper level of insensitivity. Our mantra should also be “NEVER FORGET!” because our youths are catching hell for being who they are! OUR FUTURE IS BEING KILLED OFF! The LGBT community will and should not let these senseless murders go by without retribution! Retribution to those who did not broadcast it..retribution to those who said “Well what do u expect?,and retribution to our government when things like this happen and there is no mention at all. “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired”! In the words of Fannie Lou Hamer, I am ready to get up and do something about this. I know that the religious community with all of its hypocrisy will just turn its back and move on. We must band together if we are to be strong and win. What would God do you ask? Well God would definitely not slaughter His innocents who are gay. Our youths must be protected and know that they are loved. But what can we do when the consciousness of this country regarding religion is so hateful and scornful againt gay people?We have a very long road ahead of us and It is my hope that most of us WAKE UP and realize that we too can become victims if we do not fight! RAISE UP AND BE WARRIORS FOR THE CAUSE..PROTECT ALL GAY YOUTH! If you stand for nothing then in my opinion you will fall for anything.
http://www.Twitter.com/Majikmind
November 18th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Cathedral of Hope, a congregation of the United Church of Christ and the largest LGBT church in the country, will be present with candles for any who need them!
hope to see you all there on Sunday..and also at the Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil on Friday Night, Nov. 20 at SMU (there is also an event at TCu).
November 19th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Very well said STONE and MAJIKMIND! And until we are successful at winning FEDERAL RIGHTS, all of these local victories are encouraging, but essentially meaningless. It’s the federal rights, like DOMA, ENDA, UAFA and others that we need to be focusing on, not wasting so much time and energy on local battlegrounds that don’t really matter that much. Judy Shepard and the others who fought for and successfully won the battle for the national hate crimes legislation cracked open the door, now we need to storm that door and bust it down like Martin Luther King did in the 60’s! The silence and complacency and political correctness and maneuvering MUST come to an end before more of us are slaughtered due to the George Bush mentality that we are disposable because of who we are and who we love. But with the gay press drying up around us like Logo canceling the 365GayNews show, and the publishers of the Washington Blade, Southern Voice, NY City Blade, and other publications silencing their presses, our voices are being silenced, and our unity being jerked out from under us. Logo should have been EXPANDING their gay news coverage, not putting Itay Hod out of work! We need respectable gay voices speaking out, not idiots like Perez Hilton who makes us laughing stocks. It’s time to kick that soapbox out from under idiots like Sarah Palin and “Speidi” and get this country to focus on something that really matters! RIP Jorge and Jason! We won’t let your deaths be meaningless. It’s time to fan these flames into a bonfire! The H8 MUST STOP!!
November 19th, 2009 at 7:41 am
Being a transsexual and being from where this hate crime happened, Puerto Rico makes me think that there is no safe heaven for us, the trans community. The last place where I thought this would happen was there! This shouldnt be happening anywhere in the world, we are people too. And this happens just a week before the 20th of November which is Transgender Day of remembrance!!!!! Please pray for all those victims that one way or another has lost their lives in the hands of haters!
Natasha