Today's Out Spotlight is well known Honduran gay rights activist Walter Tróchez. He had been active recently in documenting and publicizing homophobic killings in the troubled Central American country that was his homeland.
A member of the National Resistance Front that was against the coup d'etat that forced President Manuel Zelaya out of office on 28 June 2009, he documented and publicized homophobic killings and crimes committed by the forces behind the coup d'etat. He was already known for his human rights work with the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in Honduras.
His work included dissemination of information about human rights in Honduras, reported on the human rights of LGBT people during the coup, and advocated for HIV/AIDS prevention and combating religious fundamentalism.
Like others in Honduras, he faced significant abuse for his political and human rights activism and his sexual orientation, which escalated after the coup. On July 20, 2009, he was detained by authorities for participating in a peaceful, sit-down protest across from the Congress of the Republic. During his detention, he was brutally beaten and denigrated because of his sexual orientation
In an open letter written in November, Trochez sharply criticized the anti-gay "crimes promoted by the Honduran religious hierarchy in collusion with oppressive groups such as the Armed Forces, the National Security Secretariat, private enterprise, pro-life groups, and Opus Dei."
He told Amnesty International he had escaped a kidnapping attempt on December 4,2009 after suffering several hours of beatings and threats by masked men after he participated in a march against the coup. They had interrogated him about individuals opposed to the de facto authorities who seized power following the 28 June coup d'état.
He was reportedly harassed and threatened frequently by police and soldiers because of his anti-coup activism on behalf of the LGBT community. He had been trailed for months by thugs believed to be members of the state security forces.
During his kidnapping, four armed men forced Trochez into their van before repeatedly beating him in the face with a pistol butt and threatening that "even if you give us the information we're going to kill you, we have orders to kill you".
After finally managing to open the van door, he fell out on the street and ran into a deserted wasteland where he hid until his captors drove off
Trouchez was assassinated days later on December 13, 2009 in a drive-by shooting in downtown while walking home through the center of Tegucigalpa, Honduras's capital and largest city. According to sources, he was shot in the chest by a gunman and taken to hospital where he later died.
Walter Trochez was 27 years old.
"Amnesty International's fears that Walter's killing may be a sign of worse abuses to come in the athmosphere of political instability and fear that has prevailed since the copu d'état in June," said Amensty spokesperson Kerrie Howard. "Walter's killers must be brought to justice, and the de facto authorities must ensure all reports of reprisals against protestors and campaigners are fully investigated and subject to the full weight of the law."
"As a revolutionary I will be today, tomorrow and forever in the first ranks of my people, all the while knowing that I may lose my life." Walter Trochez, November 16,2009 Those killed since the coup include:
1.Vicky Hernández Castillo, transgender, June 29, 2009
2.Valeria, (Darwin Joya), transgender, June 30, 2009
3.Martina Jackson (Martín Jackson), transgender, June 30, 2009
4.Fabio Adalberto Aguilera Zamora, gay, July 4, 2009
5.Héctor Emilio Maradiaga Snaider, gay, August 9, 2009
6.Michelle Torres, (Milton Torres), transgender, August 30, 2009
7.Enrique Andrés García Nolasco, gay, September 2, 2009
8.Jorge Samuel Miranda Mata (Salome), transgender, September 20, 2009
9.Carlos Reynieri Salmerón (Sadya), transgender, September 20, 2009
10.Marión Lanza, transgender, October 9, 2009
11.Montserrat Maradiaga (Elder Noe Maradiaga), transgender, October 10, 2009
12.Juan Carlos Zelaya, transgender, October 26, 2009
13.Rigoberto Wilson Carrasco, transgender, November 2, 2009
14.José Luís Salandía, gay, November 2, 2009
15.Anonymous man, gay, November 4, 2009
16.Walter Tróchez, gay, December 13, 2009
28 comments:
Such a sad Spotlight; I've read bits and pieces about Walter before and what is going on in Honduras.
Wow what an amazing Spotlight. Heart breaking. Walter was a very brave man. Quite a hero.
What a shame it is for people to have so much hate within their hearts.
Another battle to post. Hopefully things will get resolved this week.
When I read about Walter I knew I had to make this an Out Spotlight.
For those who want to follow up about what has going on in Honduras check in with Amnesity International.
Sorry you're having so many problems putting up the posts Special. You must have a lot of patience; I think I'd have given up until I could get it fixed.
hate when we talk about this but darn he does look bad in that pic. Whether he is tired, a little tipsy, or just not aging well is hard to tell. But Jake sure has lost the boyish pretty boy look that he had had just a few short years ago. I think the best and the cutest I have seen him lately was in the Sesame Street video. That was the Jake I remember from not so long ago.
Jake does look tired or maybe becoming a little sick or something. Let's remember he is humam.
I kind of like when Jake grows hair on his face. It's a change from the boyish look and gives him a more mature and sexy look Imo. I think he even looks sexy and tipsey.
Tom a guy should be able to grow facial hair or change styles every so often. Women do it almost daily. I'm confused when poster start screaming for the Jake we saw in 2005 or 06, hell in our early to late 20's, looks change so often and so rapidly for almost everyone. Look at your early 20's to late 20's early 30's. I'm sure you will see a Big difference. And facial hair always age men. Most grow it just for that effect. Jake is not a young 20 something clean shaven big hair boy anymore, and he should be allowed to grow.
Just look at some of the late 40's and 50's actors now. Especially the one's who started acting as teens. At late 20's 30's their looks changed often, with haircuts, beards, goatees, etc. and it always changed their looks for the better or the worst, take your pic. Jake is no different.
Example: Kurt Russell in early 20's to long facial hair in 30's.
One comment about the way Jake looks. Nobody is screaming.
Well Spesh it looks like we will be rooting for the Jets.
Pitchers and catchers!!!!!!!!!!
It's not a crime to prefer Jake cleanshaven. No one is saying they want Jake to look 20 years old.
I would think this is one topic where people can just say what they prefer without there being a right or wrong.
And I love the Jakey man....
Cleanshaven!!!!
lol. As if it matters what I think.
Who is singing today's song? I don't think it is Bono. Sounds a bit like Jon Bon Jovi.
Prefer clean-shaven Jake too, or with just a little stubble. Just not into beards of any kind.
Jake looks tired, but hey we all have those days. There are days I look in the mirror and shake my head and say, "...ah that's not good", and you know you look as tired as you feel. Not sure if it was someones small or someone tall who is/are the reason for him being tired.
I don't think Austin is all too please with his co-star and her twittering that pulled him into a bigger mess, and wonder if he was keeping Jake up talking about his displeasure.
As for his beard,I think it is a break for Jake not to shave and don't know what he will be doing for Source Code. Also think with Austin sporting his carefully coiffed scruff for OTH, it can give a wicked burn, so the beard may be also preventative. ; )
Sorry about the song Destiny in the prolonged process of uploading the song today put up the wrong version of Wild Horses, it is corrected and it is U2.
Not talking about the Pats. UGH!
Sorry Dest, you know I can't root for the Jets. I can't root for Dallas either.
Oh Red Sox hurry hurry. Spring trainging can't start soon enough.
I don't think Jake looks that great either, but at least he is getting out and being seen. He needs to reestablish himself as his own personality, not as Reese's assistant. The charity event in NY, which I do think he attended, and now this. A step in the right direction.
Yeah, who knows why he looks so tired. I think Special's on it. Could be someone small, could be someone tall. LOL. That rhymes.
I think it was different a year ago when he was looking off every single time we saw him. Everyone can have a rough looking day. I almost always do on Mondays because I stay up too late on Sunday nights. Don't know when to call it a night.
We hit a big whopping 27 degrees today. It almost felt balmy outside.
Poor Jake Gyllenhaal/Rodgers wont be going to the Super Bowl. But wow what a shootout in Arizona.
Maybe Jake has jet lag. The way things sound he is all over the place.
Hey PG it will be 70 in Tampa on Thurs. Oh Yeah!!!!!!!!
Stop it, Tom!!! lol.
Not fair while I'm stuck in the Kansas Frozen Tundra.
A fair amount of comments on JJ for Jakey. Comments seem to majorly be in favor of losing the facial hair, frequent comment being that it ages him significantly.
I tell you what was scary on there and that's new pictures of Natalie Portman. She looks like someone whistling Happy Birthday could just blow her across the prairie.
That girl is as thin as a Communion wafer, I'm not kidding. Even her face is extremely thin. What is going on in Hollywood that all these girls are starving themselves? Those pictures of that girl named Rachel Zoe which were all over the internet are positively scary. These girls have the frame of a 90 year old bedridden woman and that is not intended to be funny. I'm dead serious. What are agents, directors & producers saying to these girls to make them think that they have to be wafer thin?
Well, I missed it because I was not looking at the tv that second, but my girlfriend said Jake was on the Simpson's 20th anniversary special for like 5 seconds, to say who his favorite character is. Already forgot who.
Now she's second-guessing herself, so maybe it was Jake, or a Jake look-alike.
At what point was the Jake blip? I'm on the west coast, it started at 8:30 and it's 9:00 now. Was it in the last 1/2 hour? I can record it if it is (I just turned it on) If it was earlier then I won't bother watching it.
The Jake entering the med building pics are intriguing. He's on the phone and it looks like he's carrying something in the other hand that he didn't want in the fotos. Yet the pap/foto agency clearly didn't take/release any full-body fotos, only behind the car and closeup of his face. No one scratches their nose/chin with their shoulder, do they, especially if that hand is free. Same with if he was reaching to grab his phone from the other hand - it's too exaggerated a gesture for such a simple move. I'm getting the feeling Jake/his PR have an agreement (probably monetary) with paps/foto agencies to show only what they want to show. In a lot of foto sets, there's just too much missing.
I'm getting the feeling Jake/his PR have an agreement (probably monetary) with paps/foto agencies...
IHJ February 10, 2009 Jake, Maggie, Peter & Ramona in Central Park pictures were released weeks after they were taken.
I think Jake looks fine to me - just a thought - if he appears tired, while it may be from late nights caring for little ones, IoDP opened to wider release this weekend, and I wonder if the thought of Heath is giving him a bit of pause, and he's a bit low key because of it. How could you not think of him, especially if they were friends, and I'm sure he's on the minds of his family and many fans. :)
The Out Spotlight gives pause as well. Countries with unstable governments and in politicala turmoil have the worst human rights records generally as well. :(
Really good article about the Prop 8 California court case: CNN
"It does not weaken the fabric of our communities to grant them these basic familial rights -- it strengthens them," said Chad Griffin, President of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, when the lawsuit was announced in May. "It does not undermine marriage to extend to these loving couples -- it affirms it."
Good luck to them! :*
Sorry, didn't see you until now 3 hour lag, but it was in the first half, so it was already too late.
Thanks for the CNN link.
There is a full body shot of Jake at the Medical Center.
Dear Ted:
I think we all know how Grey Goose feels about Toothy Tile's choice of beard, but what does Toothy think of Grey's? Is it strictly business between the three of them or are they friends?
–BPD
Dear Out of the Loop:
If Grey has a serious beard, she's not doing a very good job.
Bitch-Back! Is Jennifer Planning a Golden Comeback?
Post a Comment