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Even straight and cis people in Puerto Rico live with the threat of senseless violence, much of which is attributed to drug trafficking. At this rate, the number of homicides this year will be higher than the previous records: 983 last year or 995 in 1994. New York City’s population is slightly higher than that of Puerto Rico, and it totaled only 536 murders for all of 2010.
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So far this year, there have been 525 murders in Puerto Rico. Juan Carlos understands that the problem of the high murder rate affects more than just the queer community. The summit’s objective was to explore the ways in which hate crimes, machismo and homophobia affect Puerto Rican health. He coordinated Puerto Rico’s first LGBTT Health Summit, which took place on March 2, 2011. Juan Carlos (last name withheld for safety purposes) is an activist librarian currently living in Puerto Rico who spoke with me over the phone.
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Not to invalidate Serrano’s advocacy, but isn’t it possible that a voice on the island might provide a better view of what’s really happening and what really needs to be done? But the one thing many outlets have failed to mention is that Serrano currently does not live in Puerto Rico he lives in New York, like me. Serrano is rightfully calling for politicians and lawmakers to address this violence towards the LGBTT community. Pedro Julio Serrano, founder of Puerto Rico Para Todos, an organization for the inclusion of LGBTT individuals in Puerto Rican ideals of equal rights, is the advocate that most major news outlets are going to for quotes about the murders. Sensational details like “transsexual prostitute” and “decapitation” fly around the world and top Google News headlines, but what’s really going on in the island of enchantment? These murders are the horrific end result of general ignorance and fear of the LGBTT community in Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico itself seems to have been experiencing an epidemic of gay panic for years. He has since been sentenced to 99 years in prison. His attacker, Juan Antonio Martinez Matos, claimed his attack was caused by the shock of realizing Lopez Mercado was a biological male and not a female prostitute. “ Gay panic” pushed him into a blind rage and allegedly forced him to violently murder Lopez Mercado. The most publicized of these murders is that of Jorge Stephen Lopez Mercado, who was decapitated, dismembered, burned and left on the side of the road in the city of Cayey. Eighteen gay, lesbian and transsexual individuals have been murdered in the last eighteen months. While the rest of the world is celebrating Pride, Puerto Rico is reeling from a spree of violent hate-based crimes against its LGBTT community. The 200 Best Lesbian, Bisexual & Queer Movies Of All Time.LGBTQ Television Guide: What To Watch Now.