The Broad Committee for the Search for Equity (CABE in Spanish) alerted today to an epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence in Puerto Rico after five trans people were killed in the past two months, plus five other LGBTQ+ people killed in the past fifteen months.

“They are hunting us and they are killing us. There is no other way to put it. In the past two months, five trans people have been killed in a resurgence of violence that we have not seen in our country for over a decade. We demand immediate and urgent action by the government to stop this wave of violence against our trans and LGBTQ people”, said Ivana Fred, a CABE ally.

CABE refers to the murders of Kevin Fret, Alexa in Toa Baja, Yampi in Moca, two men killed in the Jíbaro Monument last year, another man whose cause of death has not been determined and was found naked in Salinas in mid-February, the double homicide in Humacao this week, an inmate that was beaten and hanged a week ago, and a 79-year-old man who died violently at his residence in Caguas recently. In addition, in the rest area of the Jíbaro Monument there have been several attacks on LGBTQ people in which the victims have been critically injured.

“We demand that the Police and the government respond to this crisis of violence against LGBTQ people immediately and urgently. It is your duty to report the status of investigations and conduct them in accordance with established protocols for hate crimes, the correct treatment of trans and LGBTQ people and in accordance with the reform of the Police. They are killing us and the government is looking the other way. This epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence is as important as the emergency that we are all experiencing right now”, said Pedro Julio Serrano, a CABE spokesman.

The ten fatal victims of the past 15 months respond to Kevin Fret, Alexa Negrón Luciano, Serena Angelique Velázquez, Layla Peláez, Emilio Colón, Penélope Díaz, Javier Morales, Carlos Robin Morales, Yampi Méndez and Luis Díaz.

“The violence we are experiencing has its roots in the hateful rhetoric and actions by fundamentalist politicians and religious leaders who incite violence, who persecute, demonize and attack LGBTQ people. Enough of using us as scapegoats for your divisive agendas. We are as human beings as the rest of society and we deserve the same respect, the same freedom and the same equity”, said Carmen Milagros Vélez Vega, a CABE spokesperson.

On Monday, April 27, CABE sent a letter to the Secretary of Public Security, Pedro Janer, and to the Commissioner of the Police Bureau, Henry Escalera, demanding an immediate and urgent meeting with Janer and Escalera in order to demand answers on the status of the investigations, the plan for surveillance and prevention of these crimes, as well as a guarantee that the processes will be carried out in accordance with the protocols and free of prejudice.

“The Police have an obligation to disclose the status of investigations into at least nine murders, one death without a specific cause and several attacks in which LGBTQ people have been injured since January 2019. It is the State’s obligation to address this epidemic of anti-LGBTQ violence. Even more so, it is up to the government led by Wanda Vázquez to declare not only a state of maximum alert and allocation of resources for gender violence, but also for homophobic and transphobic violence as well”, stated Osvaldo Burgos, a CABE spokesperson.

Natasha Alor, a young trans activist, called for “creating a society in which respect for diversity is a value, not a weapon to attack the experiences of another human being. Our lives experience violence every second of the day. This is not only unfair, it is inhumane. As trans people we demand respect for our lives and the guarantee that justice will be done so that these crimes do not go unpunished and do not happen again”.

Lastly, Justin Jesus Santiago, a CABE ally, emphasized that “it is time for this government to demonstrate that it is going to fulfill its duty to protect trans people and LGBTQ people. We recognize the Coronavirus emergency, but there is also the emergency of homophobic and transphobic violence that is killing us. It is time to act. Not one more LGBTQ person can die because of hatred.”

Organizations supporting this call to action:

1. Alianza de Comercio LGBTTQ+ de PR
2. Amnistia Internacional Puerto Rico
3. Asociación de Psicología de Puerto Rico
4. Bienestar Human Services
5. Butterflies Trans Foundation
6. CARIB
7. Casa Juana Colon
8. Casa Julia
9. COAI, Inc.
10. Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris- PRIDE PR
11. Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas de Puerto Rico
12. Comite Organizador Desfile Orgullo Boqueron
13. Concilio de Iglesias
14. Coordinadora Paz para la Mujer
15. Diversxs Puerto Rico
16. EDUCAMOS
17. Escuela Espírita Allan Kardec
18. Federación de Maestros
19. GLAAD
20. Hause of Martell
21. Hispanic Federation
22. Human Rights Campaign
23. Inter Mujeres
24. Lambda Legal
25. Latino Commission on Aids
26. Mesa de Dialogo Martin Luther King
27. Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres
28. National Center for Transgender Equality
29. National LGBTQ Task Force
30. New York City Anti-Violence Project (AVP)
31. Open Society Foundations, Proyecto Puerto Rico
32. Organización Puertorriqueña de la Mujer Trabajadora
33. Orgullo Boquerón
34. OutRight Action International
35. Poetas Sin Marcha
36. Pro Mujeres
37. Proyecto Matria, Inc.
38. Puerto Rico Para Tod@s
39. Sindicato Puertorriqueño de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras
40. Spectrum
41. Trans Youth Coalition
42. Waves Ahead & SAGE Puerto Rico

People in their individual capacity:

1.  Alejandro Santiago Calderón
2. Albert Rodríguez
3. Alegna Malavé Marrero
4. Alvaro Brusi, Ingeniero
5. Amarillys Muñoz, Psicóloga Clínica y Catedratica
6. Angel Crespo, Trabajador Social
7. Beatriz Gonzalez , Educadora
8. Carlos Camuy
9. Daniel Velázquez
10. David Mejias
11. Debbie Aruz, MD
12. Desiree Cardoza
13. Diannette Fantauzzi
14. Doroti Santiago, Educadora
15. Dra. América Facundo, Catedrática
16. Dra. Lisandra Torres
17. Dra. Mercedes Rodríguez
18. Dra. Sarah Malavé
19. Duane Kolterman
20. Eduardo Nuñez Caldero, Comerciante
21. Elizabeth Fernandez O’Brien, Artista
22. Ellen Pratt, Catedratica Retirada
23. Esther Vicente-Inter Mujeres
24. Estrella Baerga Santini, Educadora
25. Eva Ayala, Educadora
26. Ilia Cornier, Agrónoma
27. Irene La farga, Psicóloga Social Comunitaria
28. Isabel Feliciano
29. Jaime Vazquez-Bernier, Abogado
30. Javier La farga, fotógrafo profesional
31. Javier Nolla Vila
32. Joey Pons
33. Jorge Iván López Martínez
34. Julian Silva
35. Juliana Maria Acosta Velez, Estudiante UPR
36. Justin Jesus Santiago
37. Kayra Lee Naranjo
38. Larry Emil Alicea- Presidente Federación Internacional de Trabajo Social América Latina y el Caribe
39. Lcda. Verónica Rivera Torres, CLADEM
40. Leonell Justiniano
41. Lisa Morales, Profesora Universitaria
42. Lorenza Ortiz, Educadora
43. Luis Rivera Pagán Profesor Emerito de Teología Ecuménica (Princeton Theological Seminary)
44. Luisa Acevedo-Jubilada
45. Madeline Roman, Sociologa
46. Maria Dolores Fernos, Abogada
47. María E.Lara, Educadora
48. Marilucy González-Inter Mujeres
49. Mario Amílcar Torres Lara
50. Marisol Pares Avila , Educadora
51. Marisol Velez-Vega, Terapista Fisico
52. Marlyn Souffont, Educadora
53. Mary Cele Rivera Martinez, Abogada
54. Mayra Cabrera-Ulloa, Audiologa
55. Mayra Molinary, Artista Plastica
56. Naira Lee
57. Nicole Chacón
58. Obispo Rafael Moreno
59. Patricia Otón-Inter Mujeres
60. Patricia Velez-Vega, Educadora
61. Profesora Yanira Reyes
62. Rev. Felipe Lozada  Montañez
63. Ruth Otero, Catedratica UPR Retirada
64. Simara Fierce
65. Sylas Crow Cardoza
66. Teresa Previdi, cineasta
67. Wally Soto
68. Will Tirado
69. Zoraida Santiago, Antropologia Social