Homophobic murder in Puerto Rico. Cop: "he deserved it" for his lifestyle

A gay teenager was decapitated, dismembered, and burned to death in Puerto Rico. The police investigating his murder said he deserved it because of his 'lifestyle.' (via Calpernia)

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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Gloria

To all the people who pointed out Puerto Rico is a US territory, thanks. I totally forgot, being mostly schooled on Canadian geography only.
arikol

Insensitive clod in that PR department.
Personally I have more of a problem with people whose lifestyle includes beheading, dismembering and burning people than homosexual. Even if I disliked homosexuals they can’t be said to be a bigger problem than anyone willing to hurt others so disgustingly.

That police PR person seriously needs to rethink his/her stance on the people in the community.
Anonymous

Puerto Rico is United States. This is a hate crime. Drop the terrorism hammer on the people that did this!
Anonymous

Puerto Rico is a deeply homophobic society. So homophobic that when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the “anti-sodomy” laws to be unconstitutional, thereby voiding Puerto Rico’s sodomy statute, the Puerto Rican legislature wasted little time in raising the age of consent from fourteen to sixteen. It was the male homosexuality they were concerned about.
Ian70

I believe the issue at hand is thus: the words of the police officer indicate that the perpetrators of this particular crime may not be vigorously sought. If the police don’t want to find a killer, then they get away with murder.. simple as that. If this crime was perpetrated in the continental U.S. there would be pressure from the public to find the criminals.. in Puerto Rico I doubt there will be similar public pressure.
Brainspore

Is the word “lifestyle” code for “someone who habitually knife-rapes nuns” in Puerto Rico?
Santa’s Knee

Lifestyle is a term that they use in Catholic mass.
voline

Let’s show some consistency, Antinous.

If cops abusing gay people in Caracas is Hugo Chavez’s fault, then the homophobia of the police in Puerto Rico must be Obama’s fault.
eZee

Come on guys, whats with all the anti christian remarks?
Its not like the Vatican ordered his killing.

Its one idiot cops remark, nothing to do with catholics or muslims or jews or hindus etc
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  If Puerto Rico were Hindu-dominated or even mixed religion, that might make sense. But it isn’t. It’s 97% Catholic.
  - eZee
    
    So its 97% catholic, but it still does not mean its the catholic communities fault this poor kid is dead.
  - Comatose51
    
    It’s not as thought all of PR said that. It was one cop in PR. How did he become the voice of all of PR?
  - Brainspore
    
    This is a cultural issue, not a Catholic issue. The church may believe that sodomites are hellbound but it doesn’t support sending them there. (Nowadays, anyway.) How often does this kind of thing happen in Vatican City?
    - LB
      
      Like Brainspore said, this is a cultural issue. It has very little to do with Catholicism and everything to do with the concept of Machismo, which can be pretty prominent in Puerto Rican culture.
      
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machismo
      
      Homosexuals may be seen as a threat to masculinity because they are viewed as men who act like women.
      
      According to the follow-up articles posted on the site Xeni linked to, the suspect is claiming he acted in self-defense because he felt “angry” and threatened when the victim tried to have sex with him.
      
      http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/killer-of-puerto-rican-teen-says-gay-panic-made-him-murder.html
      - Gloria
        
        Agreed. I’d be more inclined to blame religion if the victim said he thought it was offensive to God, or something similar.
mellowknees

This is horrible. At least an arrest has been made, the FBI is involved, and the dumbass officer who insinuated that this poor kid somehow deserved to be brutally murdered is facing disciplinary action:

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/man-arrested-in-horrific-murder-of-puerto-rican-gay-teen.html
LB

As part of the United States, Puerto Rico should be covered by the same hate crimes legislation as the rest of the United States.
Touch Ohana

The Catholic church no longer tortures and executes homosexuals. Did I miss their apology? They heavily promote their viewpoint that homosexuality is an abomination. They equate homosexuality with pederasty – supposedly explaining their pederastic priests!

Christian apologists softly whisper “love the sinner, hate the sin” while Church representatives, including the pope, use disinformation and other rhetorical devices to demonize peaceful people they disapprove of. Do you all really think that the Catholic church bears no responsibility for the very frequent violence committed by “good Catholics” upon innocent queer people?

I do hold moralistic leaders and institutions responsible when they inspire hatred and violence in their followers generation after generation. Alas, the Catholic church is just one sad example.
- Brainspore
  
  The church deserves a good share of the blame for the hatred and ignorance but not (directly) for the violence. Clergy regularly attend protests against state-sponsored executions. Homosexual priests usually aren’t even seriously disciplined, let alone lynched.
  
  If this hideous crime was a “Catholic” thing then we’d expect to see more acts of violence among the devout than the general population. Do you have data indicating that is true?
- querent
  
  “Christian apologists softly whisper “love the sinner, hate the sin” while Church representatives, including the pope, use disinformation and other rhetorical devices to demonize peaceful people they disapprove of.”
  
  word.
- Teller
  
  “The Catechism of the Catholic Church states “men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies … must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity.”[54] Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” They oppose criminal penalties against homosexuality.[55] The Catholic Church requires those who are attracted to people of the same sex to practice chastity, because sexuality should only be practiced within marriage, which it regards as permanent, procreative, heterosexual, and monogamous.” But, of course, you’re free to do so.
  
  That’s the official viewpoint of the Catholic Church. I’m not sure how one translates that to be “homosexuality is an abomination.”
  
  But this is an academic digression from a horrific, inhuman crime.
  - IamInnocent
    
    But this is an academic digression from a horrific, inhuman crime.
    
    I’d go further: this is justifying hatred against one group, the Catholics, by accusing them of hate crime. Hateful people must have their own concentration circle in Hell, apart from the others, where they discuss how it is the others who hate them ad infinitum.
    
    I can feel how high the emotion is for Xeni and others and I am sorry to be able of no more than commiserate this time.
Teller

Puerto Rico is NOT 97% Catholic. Check your facts. It’s 97% Christian. It’s 85% Catholic. The Catholic Church is not a bible-thumping God-Hates-Fags Christian sect. Don’t confuse the two. You may not like the Catholic view on sin or marriage, but it’s unseemly to spread statistical inaccuracies and ignorance of Catholicism to buttress speculative indictments.
eZee

Catholics have commited crimes in the past for the religion, as has nearly every other religion, I totally agree with you there.

But what I am saying is THIS crime, and this stupid cops comments have nothing to do with Catholicism.

>They heavily promote their viewpoint that homosexuality is an abomination.

Its not just the catholics who believe this, remember Iran has no homosexuals :D
and many people think its an abomination regardless of religion.
Two guys kissing or ummm, more, is still enough to turn the majority of the male population of any country’s stomach, again, regardless of religion. Its just silly to start ranting about a particular religion or culture/group when the article has no mention of it.. is all Im saying.

Now if the cop said, ‘these gays deserve it according to what i learned in church’ then heck, even I’ll chime in.

Anyways, have a nice day, i wont be checking back on this thread.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Two guys kissing or ummm, more, is still enough to turn the majority of the male population of any country’s stomach, again, regardless of religion.
  
  eZee,
  
  Do you hear that cracking sound? It’s the ice beneath your feet.
- querent
  
  “Two guys kissing or ummm, more, is still enough to turn the majority of the male population of any country’s stomach, again, regardless of religion.”
  
  i disagree. people vociferously trying to prove their own sexuality always seemed kinda childish to me.
  
  “Anyways, have a nice day, i wont be checking back on this thread.”
  
  troll.
failix

Seriously? There are people who say that there is no link between Christianity, which is after all a very important part of the local culture, and homophobia? Are you saying that religions don’t influence human behavior at all, or just that religions/cultures/traditions only influence positive behavior?
- Gloria
  
  No, just that there’s no evidence to make that link in *this* specific case.
  
  “Are you saying that religions don’t influence human behavior at all, or just that religions/cultures/traditions only influence positive behavior?”
  
  Big, big jump, all assumption.
  - failix
    
    What kind of evidence would you expect in order to make such a link? I don’t think that one needs to be a religious fundamentalist to hate gays. You can’t deny that many people are raised in a way that makes them hostile towards homosexuals. Christianity isn’t exactly discouraging this kind of mentality.
    - Gloria
      
      “What kind of evidence would you expect in order to make such a link?”
      
      Maybe a statement that “God told me to kill him” or recorded attendance at a church that advocates violence against gays, or anti-gay materials in his home.
      
      Nowhere does it say the killer murdered his victim due to religious motives.
      
      Also, nowhere in the article does it say the officer is a Christian, or that he made his insensitive remarks because of his religious beliefs. He didn’t say, “This guy deserved what he got because his life contradicts the Bible.”
      
      “I don’t think that one needs to be a religious fundamentalist to hate gays.”
      
      What? That’s exactly what I’m saying.
      
      “You can’t deny that many people are raised in a way that makes them hostile towards homosexuals. ”
      
      Of course I can’t deny that. I’m not denying anything. All I’m saying is concluding *this* was a religiously-motivated attack is flawed thinking when there is no documented evidence to do so.
      
      You’re making up arguments now. I didn’t say many of the things you are accusing me of.
      
      @g.park: “Put 100 bigots in a room, and 99 of them will justify their ignorance and hate by pointing to an ancient book.”
      
      People hate because it’s what they want, and they’ll take any justification they can.
      
      For anti-bigot rhetoric, there is a lot of prejudice and generalizations going on. If you’re not following the words of an old book, what’s your excuse?
      - failix
        
        “I didn’t say many of the things you are accusing me of.”
        
        Actually, I didn’t accuse you of anything. I just expressed myself poorly, sorry.
        
        “What? That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
        
        I should have said that I don’t think that one needs to be a religious fundamentalist in order to be influenced by religion.
        
        “Maybe a statement that “God told me to kill him” or recorded attendance at a church that advocates violence against gays”
        
        That would be evidence to blame it on religious fundamentalism. Religious fundamentalists are crazy people fueled by religion. But not all people who hate gays are crazy. They’re just wrong. They grew up in a context that led them to believe that homosexuality is somehow disgusting and bad. Christianity is a fundamental part of that cultural context.
        
        I think religion influences and breeds homophobia (not necessarily motivates it). In other words, I’m pretty convinced that the cultural and social climate would be very different if the three big religions condemned homophobia.
        Therefore I don’t think it’s a stretch or exaggerated at all when we’re angry at e.g. Christianity whenever this kind of hate crime occurs.
jere7my

Did the cop actually say “He deserved it”? The quote I saw was “People who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen.” The quotation marks make it look like the former, which turns the cop into a monster instead of an insensitive jerk.
Anonymous

This is why we need federal hate crimes legislation.
Moriarty

“People who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen.”

I don’t even understand the quote. Is it commonly believed that being gay (assuming that’s the lifestyle he’s talking about) leads to being brutally murdered? How is that even supposed to work? Is it just a slasher film trope? Or is it just casually acknowledging the existence of murderous bigots? Like, if you’re a black sheriff, and you ask some guys in Klan robes where the white women at, you need to be aware that they’re going to chase you?
Chevan

It is entirely possible for a group of people to be hateful and ignorant independent of religion.
- g.park
  
  “It is entirely possible for a group of people to be hateful and ignorant independent of religion.”
  
  Entirely possible, but immensely improbable. Put 100 bigots in a room, and 99 of them will justify their ignorance and hate by pointing to an ancient book.
MrJM

Immigrant goes to America,
Many hellos in America!
Nobody knows in America
Puerto Rico’s in America!

– MrJM
theawesomerobot

Gah, guys – this quote was kind of mistranslated here. People are so quick to jump to conclusions after reading one article!

The original article said

“Este tipo de personas cuando se meten a esto y salen a la calle saben que esto les puede pasar”, expresÃ³ el agente RodrÃguez a un noticiario televisivo (UnivisiÃ³n).

Which means “People who lead this lifestyle and go out on the street know that this can happen to them.”

The “on the street” part is the literal translation, but it could also just mean to go out but…

If you do a bit more research it seems that this guy was a male prostitute, which is likely what was meant by the term “going out on the street”.

(source: http://www.elnuevodia.com/arrestansospechosodeasesinatodehomosexual-638687.html)

Plus if you look into the translation even more – the term lifestyle was improperly translated from “Este tipo de personas” which means “this kind of people”

So essentially it seems far more likely that the guy was talking about male prostitutes specifically. Sure, he comes off as not really caring either way – but I personally think it was more of commentary on prostitution than homosexuality.

So it was a bad quote in a bad article which was poorly translated. Oh boy.
- Gloria
  
  I was wondering why we were going with that one source.
  
  I can see why the officer’s remark is inflammatory … “lifestyle” in a gay context has seriously negative connotations here, but I’m guessing it’s short-hand for lack of better vocab in a culture which doesn’t even have gay hate crime legislation. I also could see how his remark might just mean that violence against gays exists and gay men just need to be closeted because our being outraged does not deter crazy violent assholes. Sad fact, and incredibly insensitive considering the timing and the context, but perhaps, a fact.
  
  I’m kinda weirded out by the immediate jump to blame the Catholic church. Did the officer profess his Catholicism? So what if a country is mostly Catholic? A lot of work professionals *can* separate their personal and professional lives.
  
  Does the Catholic church create homophobes? Of course. Does it mean that every Christian who hates gay people is only that way because of the church? No. It’s entirely possible that a lot of people join up with the church precisely because it supports their existing beliefs. I’m not going to pick a religion that doesn’t already kind of line up with what I believe in.
  
  Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve known homophobic people who aren’t religious at all; they’re just jerks who have serious issues about sexuality and masculinity.
  - Brainspore
    
    …but I’m guessing it’s short-hand for lack of better vocab in a culture which doesn’t even have gay hate crime legislation.
    
    Most countries don’t have “hate crime” legislation at all, they just have laws against doing certain things regardless of motive. Whether the killing of a gay prostitute is charged as a “hate crime” or just a good old fashioned murder does not, in and of itself, say much about the legal or societal status of gays in that jurisdiction.
    - Gloria
      
      They don’t? Maybe I’m reading it incorrectly, but most countries *do* have laws that distinguish crimes as motivated by hate.
      
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate_crime#Hate_crime_laws
      
      I think it is important, because it recognizes that sexuality is as defensible and immutable a quality as sex, race, or religion (although personally I believe religion is a choice, I understand why others might consider it something they’re born into/with).
      - Brainspore
        
        A large number of countries do, but not most.
        
        I completely agree that attacking someone for their sexuality is just as indefensible as attacking them for their race. But in both cases the crime is the attack, not the thought that preceded it. Once we start punishing people for what they think instead of what they do then we’ve embarked down a very dangerous road.
      - Gloria
        
        Well, OK, if your objection is to the use of “most”, then I withdraw that. My main point is that many nations do.
        
        “But in both cases the crime is the attack, not the thought that preceded it.”
        
        Of course. Nobody intends hate crime law to punish anyone for having certain thoughts at all.
        
        But the fact that many laws take the *nature* of motive into consideration and indeed often factors it into the severity of any resulting sentence means that it does mean something.
        
        We may not be punishing them for the thought alone, but it IS considered a “motive” and it’s a legally unique category of motive. We don’t seem to have special laws for crimes motivated specifically by personal jealousy or greed, for example.
        
        I’m not really looking for a debate on the morality of hate crime legislation. I’m just pointing out that in general, countries where homosexuality is widely accepted also have criminal laws that formally enshrine it as a quality that is on the level of sex, race/ethnicity, and religion, likely because they recognize it is not a lifestyle or choice but an immutable quality.
      - Brainspore
        
        I’ll meet you this far: If you are going to have “hate crime” legislation then it should include crimes motivated by sexuality.
        
        Cool?
      - Gloria
        
        Very cool.
      - Cranefly
        
        Once we start punishing people for what they think instead of what they do then we’ve embarked down a very dangerous road.
        
        We embarked on that road quite a long time ago when we drew distinctions between murder and manslaughter and between first- and second-degree murder. If you think that the kinds of motivations that hate crime laws cover (for example, the intent to terrorize a minority population) are inappropriate subjects for the law, that’s a perfectly defensible position, but you could be more specific about it.
    - Anonymous
      
      Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and therefore covered by U.S. Federal laws.
  - Anonymous
    
    The man never said “lifestyle.” That word was added in translation. It is further misinterpreted by assuming that the man was talking about gay prostitutes and not prostitutes in general. Furthermore as a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico DOES have hate crime legislation, including the 1969 federal hate crimes law and the Matthew Shepard act, which are almost certainly going to be invoked when this goes to trial.
- Anonymous
  
  I think the cop’s words have been horribly misquoted, mistranslated, and then disseminated. Personally I would’ve hoped for a bit more research and investigation on the part of BB before posting “he deserved it” as part of a headline as the man never said that. The only interpretation one can reasonably make based on the mans words (in original Spanish) is that people who practice prostitution are typically well aware of the types of horrible things that historically sometimes happen to prostitutes. Whether or not he meant “gay prostitutes” when he said that is pure conjecture. That said, the police in Puerto Rico isn’t known for being totally awesome and honest.
  
  Yes, hopefully this goes in as a hate crime, and yes, I’m pretty sure most of Puerto Rico is horrified that this happened, regardless of whether or not we are 97% Catholic. This is something pretty horrible and I personally will love it when this guy gets put away forever.
dlab

Gloria, not implying that you would, simply pointing out that all these arguments are based on a mistranslated quote taken out of context and that the headline above is based on that mistranslated quote.

In case anyone is interested on the follow-up (http://www.elnuevodia.com/presoporelcrimendeljovengay-639486.html), a summary:

Bail set at 4 million (so of course the guy is in jail). Suspect’s lawyers are not denying that he is guilty, but trying to spin this as not being a hate crime. They may have trouble reconciling that with the suspect’s statements to police when he was arrested.
- Gloria
  
  That’s very fair. I wonder why nobody’s responded to that though; somebody pointed out the mistranslation earlier in the comments too.
  
  To be honest, when I first read this on BB, I had difficulty finding a mainstream English source — e.g. CNN, or AP, etc. — that also discussed this particular aspect of the story. I was sort of wary seeing that the only places discussing this were a few outraged blogs. Not to say I don’t trust blogs, but a wider sample of different types of sources would have been much more helpful.
  - dlab
    
    I still haven’t found a mainstream US news source carrying this, only smaller websites, mostly LGBT-oriented. I actually read more about this from my high school acquaintances posting on Facebook than anywhere else. The sad fact is that as a territory, Puerto Rico hardly ever gets fair coverage on anything, except when something bad happens, and then the way it is reported in the US is usually inaccurate (I’m recalling the 28 different versions of stories that I read about the murder of a pregnant yacht crew member in Ceiba, PR some time ago).
    
    I do know that the AP syndicates content generated by El Nuevo Dia, but have not found that translated into English anywhere…
TooGoodToCheck

Jesus Kee-rist. I need to take an internet vacation or something. Intellectually I know that this level of violence is edge of the bell curve, but I’m getting burned out on hate. I don’t even want to do anything about it anymore because at this point it feels more appropriate to just go fetal.

Also, dear atheists: stfu. I am an atheist too, and even I don’t really want to hear about it right now. If everything in the entire goddamn world has to be about your agenda, go pick a fight with the westboro baptist church or something. they’re a monomaniacal as you are
- The Chemist
  
  monomaniacal
  
  Monomania: 2. an inordinate or obsessive zeal for or interest in a single thing, idea, subject, or the like. (dictionary.com)
  
  I am officially stealing this word, and you can’t stop me.
Kimmo

Being a gay prostitute is prolly a risky business in most parts of the world, since macho insecurity is fairly universal… but some cultures try to justify it, and others don’t…

‘God hates fags.’*

People who don’t want to think for themselves, and the divisive and exploitive cultures of dominion they allow to flourish are the biggest problem here, IMO.

Any country that’s 97% any religion (except maybe Buddhist, since they seem cognizant of the idolatry of dogma for the most part) strikes me as a nation of close-minded fuckwits.

Humanism will not feature in any culture which doesn’t value reason.

*I dig the way South Park’s Father Maxi said it; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_F_Word_(South_Park)
- Gloria
  
  “Any country that’s 97% any religion (except maybe Buddhist, since they seem cognizant of the idolatry of dogma for the most part) strikes me as a nation of close-minded fuckwits.”
  
  Um, why? It’s not like people necessarily get together and decide what religion they’re going to be based on what their neighbours are doing, like a zombie Borg collective. People *can* make their own choices, and if they happen to all be the same, who cares?
  
  Seriously, I’m a very happy atheist, but the strident rhetoric here is turning me off. Aiya.
- theawesomerobot
  
  Being a prostitute in most places of the world regardless of sexual preference is an incredibly dangerous profession.
Anonymous

Last I heard, the correct translation of that police officer’s remark was that the boy’s choice to be a prostitute in the ghetto increased the likelihood that he would eventually be stabbed to death. Not a very pleasant thing for a police officer to say, but I suppose it’s better than homophobia.
AdvertiseSpace

This is such a horrible news. I believe that Justice should be served here regardless of the religion, culture and lifestyle he is in.
Sam

The cop said “people who lead this type of lifestyle need to be aware that this will happen.”

If you read that statement, it does not express the officers personal feelings on the subject at all. The cop is simply saying people who lead a homosexual lifestyle will be targeted for crimes like this.

The cop never said the kid deserved it, expressed support for harassment or murder of gays, or anything else.

It’s a sad fact of life, but people who live homosexual lifestyles will be targeted by people who fear or do not understand them. There, now I’ve said the same thing as the cop. Am I a bad person?
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Am I a bad person?
  
  Define “homosexual lifestyles” and I’ll tell you. I suspect that quite a few people who would make that statement would say the same thing about people who live “female lifestyles”. She had it coming, going out by herself and all.
- dlab
  
  No, you didn’t say the same thing the cop did.
  
  If you read the original Spanish, the cop never said “lifestyle,” “gay,” or “deserved.” At all. All these words have been added in translation or misquoting. A clinical word-by-word translation of what the man said would be “This type of people know what could
  happen to them when they get into this and go out on the street.”
  
  I would argue that any further interpretation given to this statement speaks more about the translator’s opinions and feelings than it does about the officer’s.
  - Gloria
    
    Not everyone speaks Spanish. I don’t.
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    Anyone in the justice system who blames the victim needs a new job. I hear the McDonald’s at Gitmo is hiring.
    - dlab
      
      I didn’t think saying something along the lines of “people who do certain things are usually aware of the risks associated with those things” would constitute blaming the victim, seems more like a statement of fact. Granted it’s a pretty insensitive thing to say in those circumstances, but I don’t think it is at all the same as “he deserved it” or “it’s his fault.”
      
      But yes, having dealt with them before I can say that many Puerto Rican police officers would probably be well suited to work at Gitmo. They SUCK.