Watch: Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado Laid to Rest

Footage from the funeral of gay 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado whose  decapitated, dismembered, and partially charred body was found by the side of a road in Puerto Rico two weeks ago. The police investigator suggested that he deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading.

Certainly, a family who accepts us for who we are is something to be very thankful for. Unfortunately, Jorge wasn't given the chance to be able to enjoy that. Devastating.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Watch: Statement by Gay Mother of Slain Teen Jorge Mercado

UPDATED

Over the weekend I posted this statement from the mother of gay 19-year-old Puerto Rican Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, who was brutally murdered last week for being gay.

“When my son told me he was gay, I told him, ‘Now, I love you more.’ I want to tell the world that hatred is not born with human beings, it is a seed that is planted by adults and is fostered creating a climate of intolerance and violence. We must change our ways and understand that anyone …could have been my son. And I want everybody to know that Jorge Steven was a very much loved son.”

Now there's a video from Miriam Mercado, thanking supporters.

Watch, it AFTER THE JUMP...

Vigils were held around the country yesterday.

Nationwide Vigils Held for Slain Gay Puerto Rican Teen

Thousands attended a vigil last night at Pier 46 on the edge of New York's West Village. Similar vigils took place in cities around the country in response to the murder of Puerto Rican gay teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. Last weekend the decapitated, dismembered, and partially charred body of gay teen Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was found by the side of a road in Puerto Rico. The police investigator suggested that he deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading. Juan Martinez Matos has been charged with first-degree murder for Mercado's death.

In NYC, Christine Quinn, Council member-elect Danny Dromm, GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios, and fashion designer Malan Breton spoke to the crowd.

Watch a news report and video from New York City, and a wrap-up of San Francisco's event, from Sean Chapin, AFTER THE JUMP...

Previously...
Nationwide Vigils Planned as Officials Mull Application of Federal Hate Crimes Law [tr]
Puerto Rican Teen's Killer Says Murder was 'Gay Panic', Self Defense [tr]
Suspect Arrested in Horrific Murder of Puerto Rican Gay Teen [tr]
Gay Puerto Rican Teen Decapitated, Dismembered, and Burned [tr]

News: Oprah, Popcorn, RuPaul, Jeanne-Claude, Coelacanth

Prop 8 defenders still haven't handed over documents even after third order from judge?

Oprah show finished in 2011.

The abs and poetry of hot NJ Guidos.

NJ Democrats search for spine on marriage equality as state senator says economy takes precedence.

Judge orders OPM to offer health benefits to lesbian employee and family: "It was the second order from a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge in two days rebuking the Office of Personnel Management for denying insurance coverage to the same-sex spouses of court-supervised employees. The agency, whose director was appointed by President Obama, intervened in both cases in February and invoked the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that bars federal marriage benefits to same-sex couples."

Rallies: Activists rallied in front of NYC's Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Office yesterday in response to the horrific murder of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado. They also rallied in San Juan, Puerto Rico. There are more vigils and rallies happening this weekend.

Uganda: Rallies in response to Uganda's proposal to make "aggravated homosexuality" punishable by death took place in New York and D.C. yesterday.

Coelacanth: Baby specimens of living fossil photographed for first time.

Boy George to join Celebrity Big Brother in UK.

Senator Arlen Specter likes Barney Frank's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" suggestion: “I think the better strategy would be the one that Frank suggested. If you have it as a stand-alone bill, it’s going to be filibustered for sure. But if you attach it as an amendment — that’s what was successful with the hate-crimes amendment — I think that’d be best.”

NOM spent $112,736.75 on losing NY candidate Doug Hoffman.

New Yorkers looking for something to do this weekend might want to try Anti-Twink.

90210's Trevor Donovan shows off.

Meet the Season 2 cast of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Wrap-artist Jeanne-Claude dies of complications from brain aneurysm at 74: "Recognizable by her orange-dyed hair, Jeanne-Claude was a fixture of the international art scene and was a highly visible New York personality. Along with Christo, she created 'The Gates,' a 2005 public art project consisting of 7,503 orange rectangular structures draped with fabric and erected throughout Central Park."

Window Media publications South Florida Blade and 411 Magazine will continue to publish, under new owners.

"Ex-gays" setting up shop in Palm Beach this weekend.

Yikes: "A medium-sized popcorn and medium soda at the nation's largest movie chain pack the nutritional equivalent of three Quarter Pounders topped with 12 pats of butter, according to a report released today by the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest."

Playgirl writer: Levi Johnston saved us. "Playgirl pulled out all the stops to make this shoot a media circus -- overexerting itself financially to compensate Levi and bring on board new and old staff members to see the project through (including wunderkind party promoter Nardicio and myself, Playgirl's editor-in-chief from 2006 to 2008); and marketing the hell out of all things Levi (an ironic Levi Johnston line of Playgirl condoms due out in the spring, a Levi Johnston poster complete with signature). The 36-year-old magazine miraculously rose from the ashes of the Phoenix to become in recent months a relevant brand name once again."

Puerto Rican Teen's Killer Says Murder was 'Gay Panic', Self Defense

More insight into the murder of gay 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, whose killer was arrested yesterday.

Christopher Pagan, whose original iReport was the first I learned of the crime, has been following it. It appears that the killer, 26-year-old Juan Antonio Martínez Matos, originally believed his victim was a female prostitute.

Writes Pagan:

"He said that he did not know that it was really a man and they went to his apartment in Cidra, where Steven allegedly told him to have anal sex with him, which provoked anger in him and caused him to murder him. He also said that Steven tried to stab him, and that he armed himself with a kitchen knife and under a fit of rage he injured him, dismembered him, decapitated him and then later took his remains to Guavate where he was left. Other allegations of the killer is that in 2003 he was arrested for domestic abuse and that in his youth he was molested and that is why he hates homosexuals. The authorities said that this case has been advanced and successful due to the cooperation of the local GLBT community. The agent Angel Rodriguez said that he is being interrogated and will be charged with first degree murder. He also indicated that he will submit another request to the federal judge to have this treated as a hate crime. At the suspect's home the police found 2 knives to commit the murder, and that they were then thrown in a septic tank."

Video of the suspect in custody, AFTER THE JUMP...

There will be a vigil held in New York City in downtown Manhattan - location TBA on Sunday at 8 pm. Here's a page of information on it, and here's a Facebook page.

Previously...
Suspect Arrested in Horrific Murder of Puerto Rican Gay Teen [tr]
Gay Puerto Rican Teen Decapitated, Dismembered, and Burned [tr]

Suspect Arrested in Horrific Murder of Puerto Rican Gay Teen

Yesterday I posted about the murder of gay 19-year-old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, whose body was found decapitated, dismembered, and partially burned by the side of the road near the Puerto Rican town of Cayey. The police investigator suggested that he deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading.

Today, the paper Primera Hora reports that a 28-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect in the murder and and two vehicles have been seized as evidence. The man is scheduled to be questioned today.

The paper reports that the man was targeted after extensive interviews with Mercado's friends in the town of Caguas, where Mercado was living. They report that the man offered Mercado money for sex.

Harry Rodriguez of the FBI said the agency is monitoring the case, and is willing to provide assistance, if necessary, in the investigation with regard to DNA evidence.  Said Rodriguez: "The FBI is monitoring this investigation with the police of Puerto Rico because there are federal statutes under the laws of civil rights violations covered by hate crimes."

Allegations of homophobia against the investigating officer Angel Rodriguez, who suggested that Mercado deserved what he got because of the "type of lifestyle" he was leading, were dismissed by the supervising officer Jose Figueroa Sanchez.

They were, however, condemned by Executive Director of the Civil Rights Commission Vance Thomas, who said: "In addition to investigating, administrative charges must be filed. I know of no context in which an officer can justify that a person ought to be killed."

Note: this is my translation of the article. I'm sure it's not perfect. Spanish speakers, please let me know if I have anything terribly wrong.

Activist Pedro Julio Serrano, who is also Communications Manager for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, released a statement to Towleroad expressing optimism about the arrest and warning against judging the victim:

"Even when everyone is innocent until proven guilty, it is hopeful that they have arrested a suspect. We're grateful for the Police work that has acted promptly and we trust that the investigation digs into the hate crime angle and if it is proven that it was indeed bias-related, that the criminal is processed to the full extent of the law....We urge the media and the authorities not to judge the victim, but the criminal who committed this horrendous crime. Even if there are particular circumstances in which this crime was committed, we have to keep the attention where it deserves to be: a young gay man was brutally murdered by someone who did not have any compassion or respect for the dignity of a human life."

Michael Lavers at Edge reports that disciplinary action has been taken against the officer and that local activists are planning a protest in San Juan on Thursday.

AmericaBlog has set up an action center for people to email Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller asking them to investigate whether a hate crime was committed, although from the article it sounds like the FBI is on it.

VIGIL

There will be a vigil held in New York City in downtown Manhattan - location TBA on Sunday at 8 pm. Here's a page of information on it, and here's a Facebook page.

Previously...
Gay Puerto Rican Teen Decapitated, Dismembered, and Burned [tr]