MARCH/VIGIL FOR 19 YR OLD MURDER VICTIM

EVENT DATE
Sunday, November 22, 2009 - 4:00 PM

LOCATION
Humboldt Park (Division and California), March to the Humboldt Park Boat House

DESCRIPTION

Chicago's LGBTQ Community will be holding a march/vigil in solidarity with other vigils taking place across the country in memory of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado.

Over the weekend the brutalized body of gay teen George 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.

According to an iReport by Chrisopher Pagan: "On November 14 the body of a gay 19 year old was found a few miles away from the town in which he was residing in called Caguas. He was a very well known person in the gay community of Puerto Rico, and very loved. He was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey, he was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso. This has caused a huge reaction from the gay community here, but its a difficult situation. Never in the history of Puerto Rico has a murder been classified as a hate crime. Even though we have to follow federal mandates and laws, many of the laws in which are passed in the USA such as Obama’s new bill, do not always directly get practiced in Puerto Rico. The police agent that is handling this case said on a public televised statement that 'people who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen'. As If the boy murdered Jorge Steven Lopez was asking to get killed..."

We are asking organizations/community members to:
-post the save the date on their website/facebook/listerv (facebook event to come)
-call their contacts and encourage them to attend (allies as well!)

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Convene at 4pm at the corner of Division & California. Procession and vigil
will proceed towards the Humboldt Park Boat House. Program will commence
upon arrival.