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Hundreds attend NYC vigil for slain gay teens Mercado & Mattison
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by Rhonda J Mangus | November 23, 2009 at 03:16 am
317 views | 36 Recommendations | 7 comments
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Hundreds attend NYC vigil for slain gay teens Mercado & Mattison
uploaded by Rhonda J Mangus
Hundreds attended a NYC vigil yesterday for slain gay teens Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado and Jason Mattison, Jr.
According to Boy in Bushwick, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, City Council-member Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Council-member-elect Danny Dromm, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation president Jarrett T. Barrios and fashion designer Malan Breton were among the hundreds who attended a vigil on the Christopher Street Pier - Hudson River Park yesterday in honor of Jorge Steven Lopez-Mercado and Jason Mattison, Jr.
Nineteen year old Mercado's body was found decapitated, dismembered and charred last week in Caguas, Puerto Rico. Juan Martinez Matos has confessed to the murder and appears to be planning a "homophobic panic defense".
Fifteen year-old Mattison's body was found stuffed in a closet at Mattison's aunt's house earlier this month, in Baltimore. Mattison had been raped, gagged and repeatedly stabbed by convicted ex-felon and 'family friend' Dante Parrish who has been charged with first-degree murder.
GLBT Activisits are seeking news of justice in Mercado's murder. They have written directly to Luis Fraticelli (FBI/San Juan, Puerto Rico) Rosa Emilia Rodriguez-Velez (United States Attorney), and the Policia de Puerto Rico requesting that federal hate crimes provisions to the murder of Lopez-Mercado be applied.
The families of both victims continue to grieve. Miriam Mercado, the mother of Lopez- Mercado, shares her grief as told in this NowPublic piece Murdered gay teen's Mom speaks of beloved son, while the family of Mattison have questions about his death in this Baltimore Sun article.
Mattison was laid to rest in Baltimore earlier this month. Mercado will be laid to rest today.
Photos from the NYC vigil for Jorge Steven Lopez-Mercado and Jason Mattison, Jr. can be viewed at 365gay.com. and at Boy in Bushwick.blogspot.com.
Related stories at NowPublic Sexuality Special News Coverage.
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Rhonda J Mangus
North Tonawanda, New York, United States
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Recommendations (36)
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (7)
at 03:33 on November 23rd, 2009
Good post Rhonda:)
at 03:47 on November 23rd, 2009
Thank you, albertacowpoke:)
at 05:22 on November 23rd, 2009
Yes, thanks for this one!
at 05:52 on November 23rd, 2009
And thanks also for linking my story. Great coverage of the vigil, and thanks for the links!
at 16:21 on November 23rd, 2009
You are very welcome, smk! Thank you for reading, commenting, and for the rec!
at 08:13 on November 23rd, 2009
Rhonda: What was the specific reason for their murder? Was it simply because they were gay?
at 16:47 on November 23rd, 2009
Rory, thank you for reading, commenting, and for the recommend! I know as much as anyone who is following this story.
I will say it is very unfortunate that both Dante Parrish and Matos-Martinez seem to be in a position to give any scenario they choose as to the reason(s) for killing their victims, Mattison and Lopez-Mercado, respectively.