In the Life Presents: “The Right to Live”
March 9, 2010
In this month’s episode of In the Life, a documentary-based program that focuses on issues surrounding the LGBT community, an epidemic coined ‘bullycides’ is addressed by the families most affected by it. A bullycide, or a suicide resulting from excessive bullying, can be attributed to a child’s perceived sexuality. Featured in this segment is Sirdeaner Walker, the mother of Carl Joseph Walker Hoover, an 11 year old boy who committed suicide resulting from anti-gay taunts from his classmates. The segment seeks to address an often disregarded issue facing LGBT youth who are bullied, and the toll it takes on a child’s mental well-being.
Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover committed suicide after getting bullied for being gay
Parents like Sirdeaner Walker are coming to the forefront to prevent bullycides from becoming a widespread epidemic, by working to get legislation passed to protect children like Carl from suicide resulting from bullying.
Also featured in this episode is a focus on the state of Ohio’s lack of legislation to protect LGBT people. In Ohio, it remains legal to fire an employee based solely on their sexuality or gender identity, unmarried LGBT people cannot obtain domestic partner benefits, and it is impossible for transgender Ohioans to change their sex on their birth certificates. Several LGBT activists from organizations like Equality Ohio are interviewed, discussing Ohio’s legalized discrimination and what they have planned for the future of LGBT Ohioans.
Check your local listings for airings of this month’s In the Life to learn more about these pressing issues that face our community, or visit the series’ official website.
Related Posts:Salt Lake City DA Files Charges in Alleged Hate Crime
March 3, 2010
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office has filed charges against seven individuals accused of physically assaulting two men in an alleged bias-motivated crime.
According to Salt Lake City Weekly, on July 5, 2008, DJ Bell, an openly gay man, claims he heard a knock at his door. Upon answering, Bell says he discovered a neighbor’s 2 year-old child and that child’s 4 year-old cousin. Before Bell could contact his neighbor about the wandering children, he heard screams from next door and was approached by his livid neighbor who accused him of kidnapping the two toddlers. Multiple suspects, presumed to be related to the mother, then broke into Bell’s home and severely beat him and his partner, Dan Fair. Bell suffered multiple head wounds, laceration of his throat and toe, and a loss of hearing in his right ear as a result of the brutal attack.
Bell and Fair allege that anti-gay bias is at the root of the assault.
Initially, Salt Lake City Police arrested Bell on charges of kidnapping. In a trial, however, jurors were not convinced, reportedly saying that the wrong person was on trial.
That jury later acquitted Bell of all charges.
Now, nearly 2 years later, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office has filed a total of sixteen charges against the seven suspects accused of physically assaulting Bell and Fair.
GLAAD will continue to follow the media’s coverage of this case. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Vigils Planned Across the Nation to Remember 15 Year-Old Lawrence King
February 2, 2010
Two years after an unthinkable act of hate in California, vigils are being organized across the country to remember Lawrence “Larry” King, a 15 year-old boy who was shot and killed by a classmate because of his perceived sexual orientation and gender expression.
On February 12, organizations and individuals nationwide will honor Larry’s memory and call for an end to violence and harassment in the classroom directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
A 2007 study conducted by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that more than 9 out of 10 LGBT middle school students surveyed (91%) said they experienced harassment at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, 59% experienced physical harassment and a startling 39% said they had been physically assaulted, nearly twice as many as in high school (20%). That same study found that more than 8 out of 10 LGBT middle school students (82%) reported hearing homophobic epithets frequently or often from other students in school — a higher percentage than high school students (73%). Perhaps most shocking, 63% of LGBT middle school students had heard school staff make homophobic remarks.
To locate and register for a vigil near you, please visit www.rememberinglawrence.org
Related Posts:UPDATE: GLAAD Demands and Receives an Apology from Notre Dame and The Observer
January 19, 2010
On January 13, The Observer, the student newspaper at the University of Notre Dame ran an incredibly offensive and dangerous cartoon. In the cartoon, two characters have the following dialogue:
“What is the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?”
“No idea”
“A baseball bat.”
According to the cartoonists’ now-defunct blog, the original version had used the punch line, “AIDS,” instead of “A baseball bat,” but editors of the school paper had decided that was too problematic.
GLAAD immediately reached out to the student paper and demanded an apology and action be taken to prevent this type of thing from happening again. GLAAD also contacted the office of the President of Notre Dame to insist that the administration denounce the cartoon and its message of violence.
The Observer acted quickly, publishing an editorial retracting the cartoon and apologizing for it in the following day’s edition. The cartoonists issued an apology in the form of a letter to the editor – they also pulled down their blog entirely. The Observer provided space for guest columns about the cartoon to a professor of sociology, the school’s “Core Council,” Gay and Lesbian Alumni/ae of Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s College, as well as GLAAD. GLAAD’s op-ed will be submitted this week. The editor that made the dangerously misguided decision to publish the cartoon resigned from the paper, and the Editor in Chief has decided to cancel future publication of the cartoon.
Additionally, the President of the University of Notre Dame issued a statement about the cartoon: “The University denounces the implication that violence or the expressions of hatred toward any person or group of people is acceptable or a matter that should be taken lightly.”
The Editor in Chief of The Observer is revising internal policies to avoid this type of dangerous content from being published again. One of the very first actions she took was to place a copy of GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide at every work station at the paper.
GLAAD will continue to work with The Observer to foster fair, accurate and inclusive future coverage of LGBT people and issues.
Related Posts:LGBT Developments Around the Country
January 19, 2010
Every week at state and local levels, there are numerous developments on key issues that deeply affect our community—marriage, hate crimes and employment discrimination, to name a few. GLAAD is ensuring the media is paying attention.
Here is a brief summary:
District of Columbia: Court rules down marriage referendum
A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled Thursday that same-sex marriage opponents do not have a right to call for a referendum to determine whether such unions should be legal in the District.
The decision, a major victory for gay rights activists, makes it more likely that the District will begin allowing same-sex couples to marry in March.
In the 23-page ruling, Judge Judith N. Macaluso affirmed a D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics decision that city law disallows the ballot proposal because it would promote discrimination against gay men and lesbians. Macaluso also concluded that previous court decisions outlawing same-sex marriage in the District are no longer valid.
Council member David A. Catania (I-At Large), the sponsor of the D.C. Council same-sex marriage bill signed last month by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D), called the decision “thorough and far-reaching.”
“The ruling, which addressed the substantive legal issues before the court, sustains the District’s tradition of treating all citizens equally under the law,” Catania said.
The election board has twice ruled that a referendum on same-sex marriage would violate a city election law prohibiting such a vote on a matter covered by the Human Rights Act, which outlaws discrimination against gays and other minority groups.
California: Mitrice Richardson’s family files million dollar claim against L.A. police department
The family of Mitrice Richardson, an African-American lesbian who has been 
missing since she was released from the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff’s station in September of 2009, has filed a multimillion-dollar claim against Los Angeles County. The family claims that that the Sheriff’s Department personnel acted negligently.
The Los Angeles Times wrote:
The claim mentions a number of officers who interacted with Richardson, 24, from the time she was arrested at Geoffrey’s, a Malibu restaurant, for not paying her $89 dinner bill, until her release into the night without her car, cellphone or purse.
“We feel they had a duty to keep her there,” said attorney Leo Terrell, who filed the claim on behalf of Richardson’s mother, Latice Sutton; her father, Michael Richardson; the missing woman; and her estate. “If they felt she had a mental issue, they had an obligation to hold her.”
The deputies could have held her for a mental evaluation. But the Sheriff’s Department has steadfastly maintained that in the hours it did detain her, she appeared and talked rationally. A department spokesman has said the department felt, if anything, that it had a legal obligation to release her in a timely manner.
The claim, which was filed last week, alleges negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and wrongful death, according to Terrell.
LAPD Homicide Det. Chuck Knolls, who has been investigating the disappearance of the Cal State Fullerton graduate for months, expressed surprise that wrongful death was included.
“As far as we know, she’s a missing person,” said Knolls, who was part of an extensive search of the Malibu Canyon area Saturday. No sign of Richardson turned up, nor is there any evidence she was a victim of a crime.
Terrell acknowledged the possibility that she could turn up alive — in which case, he said, he would remove the wrongful death portion of the claim as well as the reference to Richardson’s estate. But he filed the claim as he did, he said, to make the six-month window after the alleged negligence occurred.
Maryland: Equality Maryland ED writes letter to The Baltimore Sun
In the January 11th, edition of The Baltimore Sun, Executive Director of Equality Maryland, Morgan Meneses-Sheets wrote a letter to the editor addressing her concerns about recent comments about quality of life crimes made by radio Radio host Ed Norris, a former Baltimore police commissioner and superintendent of the Maryland State Police.
I am writing in response to Ed Norris’ recent comments on the priority list that mayor-in-waiting Stephanie Rawlings-Blake should commit to (Jan. 10). I was appalled to see that of all of the criminal justice issues that plague this city, he chose to point a finger and suggest additional prosecution of some of the poorest and most disenfranchised people — the homeless and sex workers. The fact that he had the nerve to label panhandling and prostitution as “quality of life” crimes demonstrates just how out of touch many people continue to be.
Those who would stand out on Light Street or MLK on a frigid January day do not do so to drive people away. It is a cry for help — a cry that should truly be a priority of our incoming mayor. Furthermore, this commentary included yet another person pointing their finger at sex workers and blaming them for the ills of our society rather than considering what would put someone in a position where they would risk their lives on the streets everyday.
It is a fact that a large number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth who are ejected from their homes feel they have no other option than to participate in survival sex. Our city’s shelters and transitional homes are not only under-funded but are also largely segregated in rigid gender categories that do not meet the needs of transgender individuals. There is a dearth of beds available to young people who find themselves on the streets. Additionally, many members of the LGBT community are fired for no reason or forced into low wage positions that make it nearly impossible to get by.
Instead of focusing on punitive measures that simply address the symptoms, let’s talk about the real problems, such as discrimination. Don’t put another marginalized person in jail when we should be creating and maintaining job training, fully accessible public programs and affordable, equitable housing. Let’s be a community that honors the dignity and respect of all people. Now, that is truly a quality of life issue.
Michigan: Police Make Arrest in Benton Harbor Attack
Police have made an arrest in a possible hate crime that occurred in December at 
a Benton Harbor, MI gas station. Calvin Wright, 23, is accused of repeatedly punching a gay man. Wright is being held on suspicion of aggravated assault.
South Bend’s NBC affiliate WNDU reported:
23-year-old Calvin Wright of Benton Harbor is accused of attacking another man outside a gas station on December 12th.
He was arrested over the weekend at an area restaurant. That’s according to our Read It/Watch It partners at the Herald Palladium. The victim claims he was beaten because he is gay.
We interviewed the victim last month, but out of fear, he asked us to hide his name, face and voice.
“Get to know a gay person before you judge them because you don’t know who they are,” said the victim. “They’re all around you. They’re your uncle, your aunt, your brother, your sister.”
Police have not confirmed that the attack was because of sexual orientation.
GLAAD will continue keeping up with the latest developments on LGBT issues around the country.
Related Posts:Notre Dame Student Newspaper The Observer Apologizes For Publishing Dangerous Anti-Gay Cartoon
January 14, 2010
On Wednesday, 13 January, The Observer, the student newspaper at Notre Dame University ran an incredibly troubling cartoon that promotes violence against the LGBT community.
The cartoon depicted a conversation between two figures. The conversation read,
"The Mobile Party" from The Observer January 13, 2010
“What’s the easiest way to turn a fruit into a vegetable?”
“No idea.”
“A baseball bat.”
As many people know, “fruit” is often used as a derogatory term for members of the LGBT community.
This type of advocacy of anti-LGBT violence must stop. It isn’t funny. What’s more, it promotes hate crimes, which are all too prevalent in society today.
The cartoonist had posted on his blog – though it’s since been removed – his original version of the cartoon. In the original version, it shows that the punchline read, “AIDS” instead of “A baseball bat.” The paper, he reported, preferred “not to make light of fatal diseases.”
The Observer made a dangerously misguided decision that promoting violence was somehow superior to making fun of HIV/AIDS. Both versions of the cartoon were abhorrent.
GLAAD contacted The Observer immediately upon seeing this cartoon. The Editor in Chief Jenn Metz relayed a tearful and what appeared to be heartfelt apology by phone. She explained that she was not present when the decision to run this cartoon was made, and that she was incredibly upset that others on staff had made that decision.
Metz plans to run what she describes as a “full retraction and apology,” in Friday’s edition of The Observer. GLAAD will watch for that retraction and apology. Additionally, GLAAD asked Metz to ensure that the staff responsible for running this cartoon – both the cartoonist and editor who decided it was fit for print – be reprimanded.
GLAAD has also reached out to the office of the President of Notre Dame University, and called upon that office to issue a statement condemning violence and this cartoon that promotes violence. We await response from the University on how they plan to address this type of violent dialogue from continuing to be advanced on campus.
We’ll update this post when we receive Metz’s written apology and when we hear back from the University.
Update: Today The Observer published an apology for the cartoon. It read, in part, “The editors of The Observer would like to publicly apologize for the publication of “The Mobile Party” in the Jan. 13 edition. The burden of responsibility ultimately lies on us for allowing it to go to print. There is no excuse that can be given and nothing that can be said to reverse the damage that has already been done by this egregious error in judgment.”
Related Posts:Anti-Gay Violence Hits Western New York: Causes Community Concern
January 11, 2010
Lindsay Harmon was celebrating New Year’s Eve at Roxy’s, a popular lesbian bar in Buffalo, New York, when passersby began hurling homophobic slurs and someone grabbed her from behind and stabbed her in the right eye and arm.
Hours earlier, in an unrelated incident, a 20-year old gay man was attached by two women who alleged he was gay. According to The Buffalo News, the two women threatened him inside the mall, followed him into the parking lot, pepper sprayed him, kicked him and ultimately robbed him of more than $1,000 in jewelry and cash.
These attacks in Western New York have stunned members of the local community and shined a light on a percolating trend in the region, according to The Buffalo News.
Data from The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, a New York City based watchdog for violence against LGBT people and other traditionally underrepresented groups, reported 2,424 victims of bias-motivated crimes in 2008, according to The Buffalo News. The Center does not have numbers specific to Buffalo.
“The biggest problem is getting people to report it,” Tim Moran, publisher of online newspaper Outcome, told The Buffalo News. “The police don’t necessarily tell people what happened,” he continued. Also according to Moran, gays and lesbians are targeted for robberies and other crimes more often than what’s reported.
Buffalo News Reporter Donn Esmonde, in an op-ed, labeled Harmon’s incident the beginning of “a storm of outrage.”
“Thursday, I saw the mark left by hate,” Esmonde wrote referring to his visit with Harmon at her house. “Harmon, sitting in the living room of her father’s home in West Seneca, pulled off the white gauze that covers half of her face. A black line, about 2 inches long, starts at the top of her right eyelid, cuts down through the eyelid and runs across the top of her cheek,” he continued.
In the interview with The Buffalo News reporter Donn Esmonde, Harmon told Esmonde, “It is like the gay community has been attacked,” Harmon told me. “I will not let myself down or other people down. . . . Once I get better, I’ll help with anti-violence rallies. Whatever it takes.”
Local LGBT community members and allies have started a Facebook group to support Harmon and curb anti-gay violence. On Monday, the group claimed more than 16,500 members.
GLAAD is still investigating and will continue to monitor the situation. Joy Darden, 18, and Deonna Burnett, 19, were charged with robbery, grand larceny, aggravated harassment and criminal mischief in the case of the attack on the 20-year old man, according to The Buffalo News. The two could face tough charges if convicted of a hate crime, because of the state’s Hate Crimes Act.
Related Posts:GLAAD Co-Sponsors Vigil for Jorge Steve Lopez Mercado
November 25, 2009
Hundreds of people gathered in New York City’s historic Greenwich Village Sunday, Nov. 22 to take a stand against anti-LGBT violence. The vigil was held in honor of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, the 19-year-old openly gay man who was brutally murdered more than a week ago in Puerto Rico.
The vigil, run concurrently with vigils in 15 other cities, was organized in conjunction with GLAAD and featured several prominent elected officials. GLAAD’s President Jarrett Barrios was a featured speaker.
“A lot of us who grew up Latino, grew up with this machismo ingrained in us, we need to examine what’s underneath,” said Barrios, a sentiment that echoed throughout the mostly Latino crowd.
The vigil was the latest public outcry after Juan Martinez Matos, 26, pled guilty to murdering Mercado. Matos, was also charged with three weapons and one count of hiding evidence.
Despite the evidence against Matos, the Puerto Rican government says it’s still “unclear” how it will prosecute him. Law officials speculate the government may try the case as a simple murder case (without it being designated as a hate crime) because Matos claims he “didn’t know the gender of Mercado.” But for many vigil attendees and elected officials across the country—that is unacceptable.
“This is a hate crime!” City Councilwoman Christine Quinn, the first openly lesbian Speaker of the City Council, told reporters. “The attack against any American because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is unacceptable, and will be prosecuted to the highest and fullest extent of the law,” she said.
There is mounting pressure on Attorney General Eric Holder to pressure the Puerto Rican government to try the case as a hate crime. If Puerto Rico agrees, this could be the first case tried under the new Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
For more pictures from the vigil, visit: “Remembering Jorge Steven Mercado, a vigil”
Related Posts:UPDATE: Locals Gather in Puerto Rico to Remember Jorge Steven López – Vigils to be held across the Nation in Coming Days
November 20, 2009
Locals gathered in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday afternoon to remember 19 year-old Jorge Steven López, who was brutally murdered last Friday in what appears to be a hate-motivated crime.
Local activist and GLAAD ally Christopher Pagan was on the ground in Puerto Rico for the gathering.
“I was really touched by how many locals — gay and straight– came together to remember Jorge and defend the rights of the LGBT community,” said Pagan. ”Since Jorge’s death, I see gay men and lesbians in the community walking with more pride than I had ever seen before and straight community members who sympathize with the gay community during this difficult time.”
GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios will join thousands of New Yorkers this Sunday, November 22 at Pier 45 in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. Stand with GLAAD in mourning the horrific death of Jorge Steven López.
The New York Vigil will take place at Pier 45 on Sunday, November 22, 2009 at 5:00 pm. An optional mass will follow.
Other vigils will be held across the nation in coming days. Vigil locations include:
Abilene, TX – 5:30PM, ACU campus, next to GATA fountain [Facebook link]
Amherst, MA – MONDAY 11/23 – 6:30PM, Food For Thought Books [Facebook link]
Atlanta – Details forthcoming
Boston – 7PM, Trinity Church, Copley Plaza [Facebook link]
Chicago – 4PM, Division and California, procession to Humboldt Park Boat House [Facebook link coming Friday]
Durham, NC – 6PM, Corcoran St, CCB Plaza [Facebook link]
Los Angeles – 8PM, Santa Monica and San Vicente [Facebook link]
New Orleans – Details forthcoming
Oakland – 3:30PM, MacArthur and Lakeshore/Grand Ave [Facebook link]
Philadelphia – Details forthcoming
San Juan, Puerto Rico - November 25, 6PM, Department of Justice
San Francisco – 7PM, Castro and Market [Facebook link]
Terre Haute, IN - FRI 11/20 – 6:30PM, Indiana State, DeDe Plaza [Facebook link]
For the latest information about a vigil in your area, please visit: http://mercado-vigil.tumblr.com/
(Photos courtesy of Christopher Pagan)
Related Posts:UPDATE: Suspect Charged in Jorge Steven López Case – No Hate Crime Charge at this Time
November 19, 2009
Juan Martínez Matos – the man who has confessed to brutally murdering, decapitating and dismembering 19 year-old Jorge Steven López – was charged with murder in the first degree and a series of weapons charges on Wednesday, according to Puerto Rico’s Primera Hora newspaper.
A hate crime charge has yet to be filed and Martínez Matos is being held on $4 million bail.
The victim’s grief-stricken father appeared in court for the hearing and was asked for forgiveness by his son’s killer.
“I have already forgiven you, but the one you must ask for forgiveness is God,” said López senior.
The preliminary hearing in the case was scheduled for 7 December in a Caguas, PR court.
Updates on this story will continue to be posted on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:BREAKING: Puerto Rico Police Confirm Jorge Steven López Murder is being Investigated as a Possible Hate Crime
November 18, 2009
The Associated Press reported late Wednesday that Puerto Rico police have confirmed that the savage murder of 19 year-old Jorge Steven López is being investigated as a possible hate crime.
Juan Antonio Martínez Matos confessed on Wednesday to brutally murdering, decapitating and dismembering López on November 13.
If charged with a hate crime, the case could be the first ever to invoke new federal hate crimes legislation that protects victims on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity.
The AP reported that Martínez Matos has already been interrogated by a local prosecutor who concluded the killing was in fact a hate-motivated crime. Charges have yet to be filed, however.
The AP also noted the significance of a hate crime conviction:
A suspect convicted of a hate crime offense as part of another crime automatically faces the maximum penalty for the underlying crime. For a murder charge, that would be life in prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said that it will assume jurisdiction over the case if it is deemed a hate crime by local law enforcement officials.
Vigils are being held across the nation in coming days to remember young López. For more information about a vigil in your area, please visit: http://mercado-vigil.tumblr.com/
GLAAD has reached out to the victim’s family, friends, and community members and will provide media training for various spokespeople who wish to tell Jorge’s story. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:UPDATE: Reports Say Suspect to Use So-Called ‘Trans Panic Defense’ in Jorge Steven López Murder Case
November 18, 2009
The Puerto Rico-based newspaper El Nuevo Dia reported on Wednesday that Juan Antonio Martínez Matos – the suspect accused of savagely murdering 19 year-old Jorge Steven López – has used the so-called ‘trans panic defense’ while in police custody.
The ‘gay panic defense’ or ‘trans panic defense’ is a common tactic used by anti-LGBT criminal suspects and implies that LGBT people are legitimate targets for discrimination, abuse and violence. Implying that an openly LGBT victim shares responsibility for being assaulted, or that an attack is justified because of an unwanted romantic or sexual advance often biases criminal and legal investigations.
According to El Nuevo Dia, Martínez Matos, 26, claims that he was soliciting women for sex when approached by López who he says was wearing “a blue dress and boots. The suspect alleges that he allowed López into his vehicle under the impression that López was female, but after discovering López to be male, Martínez Matos says he “had a flashback to when he was raped in prison” and proceeded to attack and murder the young man. The teen’s body was later discovered decapitated, dismembered and partially burnt.
Sources close to the victim confirm that López identified as a gay man.
LGBT organizations across the nation are reacting to the gruesome murder that most see as an anti-LGBT bias crime.
In a statement released Tuesday, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Rea Carey, condemned the savage murder and encouraged local law enforcement to prosecute the suspect to the full extent of the law:
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force stands in solidarity with the LGBT community in Puerto Rico and sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jorge Steven López. We urge local law enforcement authorities to continue their expedient work on this case. Fortunately, Puerto Rico has a local hate crimes statute, but it is imperative that federal authorities continue to monitor this ongoing investigation and step in if necessary or assist if asked, as allowed by the new federal hate crimes law.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has said that it will assume jurisdiction over the case if local law enforcements determine the murder to be a hate-motivated crime.
It is disturbing to read that Martínez Matos seems to be attempting to justify his horrific actions with the so-called ‘Trans Panic Defense.” GLAAD urges national media to report the tragedy in a fair, accurate, and inclusive manner so that law enforcement may better and more transparently investigate and communicate the facts of this appalling crime.
GLAAD will closely monitor media coverage to ensure it is fair, accurate and inclusive. GLAAD has also reached out to the family of Jorge Steven López and to local community members on the ground to offer media assistance.
Related Posts:Puerto Rican Teen Brutally Slain in Alleged Hate Crime
November 17, 2009
The body of a nineteen year-old boy was found decapitated, dismembered, and partially burnt in the Puerto Rican city of Cayey on Friday in what some suspect is an anti-gay bias crime.
The Puerto Rico-based newspaper Primera Hora reported on Tuesday that a suspect has been arrested and two vehicles have been seized for investigation in the case.
Friends grew concerned after the teen, Jorge Steven López, failed to meet them at a local club.
A Puerto Rican investigator, Angel Rodriguez, drew stern criticism from LGBT advocates after he implied that López perhaps deserved his brutal fate because of López’s so-called “lifestyle.”
“When these type of people get into this and go out into the streets like this, they know this can happen to them,” Rodriguez said in a statement.
Rodriguez has since been removed from the case.
The LGBT publication Edge reported on Monday that the FBI announced that the bureau will claim jurisdiction over the case if local investigators conclude that López’s murder is, in fact, a hate motivated crime.
President Barack Obama signed groundbreaking federal hate-crimes legislation just last month. That legislation prohibits hate-motivated violence on the basis of sexual orientation, gender, and gender identity.
GLAAD will continue to monitor the media’s coverage of this gruesome crime. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Follow-Up to South Park Call to Action
November 16, 2009
Dear GLAAD Supporter:
Thank you for your response regarding the South Park “F Word” episode. We have heard from many who believe we acted harshly in our stance. We have also heard from those who supported our stance. The responses indicate how widely our experiences and perspectives vary.
We continue to believe this word is associated with violence and hatred, as evidenced by incidents in the last six months:
- In Seattle, a gay couple’s home was tagged, “faggots rape kids.” The tagger was arrested but the case dismissed.
- An Illinois teacher discussing arts funding said to his class: “How would you feel about your tax dollars going to pay for some black fag in New York to take pictures of other black fags?” He walked away with only a warning.
- In San Francisco, a city usually perceived as safe and accepting, the streetcar dedicated to Harvey Milk was defaced. What was the word used? “Fag.”
- In Kalamazoo where voters recently upheld anti-gay discrimination, a 15-year old was punched repeatedly in the head while being called “faggot.”
According to Trevor Project, LGBT youth who experience harassment are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers.
However, we’ve listened to all of the responses in support of South Park and we believe, upon reflection, that those who have encouraged us to see more in this episode than typical satire are right. The show’s writers were trying to get people to think deeper about this subject.
What this show has done is provoke debate and that’s a good thing. At the end of the day, what many of us here at GLAAD believe is that this word will still be used as hate speech, but we can respect the intention of the writers. The episode ends but the discussion goes on for the many who live with an epithet that taunts them daily and creates a climate of fear and intimidation. The attention in the media that the Call to Action received started important conversations in print, on comment sections of online articles, on Facebook, and around the office water cooler about this word. We hope these discussions will continue–not just with those of us in media–but with school administrators, teachers and students. We hope that these conversations will result in people thinking twice before it is spoken – especially when they hear it in schools and playgrounds as a means of bullying LGBT youth.
We will continue the important task of working with media about how LGBT issues are handled. We hope you will keep sharing your thoughts with us about what matters to you.
Truly,
Taj Paxton, Director of Entertainment Media
&
Rich Ferraro, Director of Public Relations
South Park Tries and Fails to Redefine “The F-Word”
November 5, 2009
Last night’s episode of Comedy Central’s long-running animated comedy South Park featured rampant use of the anti-gay slurs “f*g” and “f****t” as Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny attempted to drive a local biker gang out of town.
In “The F-Word,” life in South Park has been disrupted by a loud and disruptive biker gang. Cartman ultimately takes it upon himself to inform the gang that “everyone thinks you’re total f*gs.” When the South Park kids then tag “F*GS GET OUT” all over town, first the gay residents and ultimately the entire town take offense at the anti-gay rhetoric. When the mayor gathers all of the kids together to ask why anyone would spray paint such hateful anti-gay messages, the kids are taken aback, not realizing that the F-word was hurtful to the LGBT community.
Stan: “Why would we want gay people to get out of town?”
Cartman: “Oh, they think we meant gay f*gs.”
Kyle: “Oh, hey that’s not very nice mayor. Just because a person is gay doesn’t mean he’s a f*g.”
It is then revealed that, to the children of South Park, “f*g” does not refer to gay people at all but rather to people who “ride a loud Harley up and down the streets ruining everyone’s nice time.” Thus, a “gay f*g” is only a “f*g” if he is an obnoxious biker and a straight person who is considering buying a motorcycle is “bike-curious.” Eventually, the boys convince the head dictionary editor to change the definition of the F-word to read:
“Fag n. 1. An extremely annoying, inconsiderate person most commonly associated with Harley riders.
2. A person who owns or frequently rides a Harley.”
GLAAD disagrees. Though the writers of South Park attempted to craft a commentary on the shifting meaning of words, the fact of the matter is that the F-word is and remains a hateful slur that is often the last word heard by LGBT people as they fall victim to hate crimes. Just this year, 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover of Massachusetts hung himself, unable to endure further anti-gay bullying at school which included constant use of the F-Word.
South Park was right on one point: all too commonly, more and more people are using the F-word as a seemingly benign insult, unaware or unconcerned about the word’s anti-gay meaning. However, the spread of the word in this manner does not make it okay to use. Mickey Rourke and Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson recently learned this lesson as GLAAD reiterated the need for all uses of this slur to end.
GLAAD encourages you to contact Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, as well as Comedy Central, to share your personal stories of the negative impact the F-word and other anti-gay slurs have had on your life. It is important that the people behind South Park realize that the F-word is not just a harmless insult; it is a hateful word with often violent consequences.
South Park Studios Official Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/southpark. (You will have to become a “fan” in order to leave a message.)
Steve Albani
Comedy Central SVP, Corporate Communications
(212) 767-8695
steve.albani@comedycentral.com
Lisa Leingang
Comedy Central SVP, Programming
212-654-5866
lisa.leingang@comedycentral.com
Comedy Central Comment Line:
(212) 767-8600
**UPDATE: CALL TO ACTION: Tell South Park’s Creators About the Harms Caused By Slur-Filled “The F-Word”
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