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Monday, June 10, 2019 | Vo l u m e 1 2 3 | I s s u e 6 7
Photos by Justin Garcia, Emille Domschot and Amanda Britt.
Photos of the Pride Parade on June 6th, 2019. Graphic by Anna C. Evanitz / @ACEvanitz
Vigil commemorates Stonewall Riots Albuquerque unveils By Lauren McDonald @DailyLobo Albuquerque PrideFest held a candlelight vigil for the LGBT community on Friday evening, June 6 at Morningside Park. The vigil was held in remembrance of the Stonewall riots in 1969 and ended up experiencing a protest of its own. The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) chanted over the national anthem and the first few speakers at the event. The program featured singing from New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus, a speech from the mayor, talks from community groups and a prayer from a local pastor honoring the members of the LGBT community who’ve died. Protestors chanted, shouted and used a megaphone over the first opening speeches at the event. “No pride in genocide, no pride in empire,” was repeatedly chanted over the National Anthem and the opening prayer. Other signs in the crowd included, “No cops at Pride,” which was said to pertain to the issue of police violence in the LGBT community, according to protesters. The protesters said they were there to bring attention to the death of Johana Medina Leon, 25,
the transgender woman who died in El Paso, Texas, after being held in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in New Mexico. Protesters chanted her name and held signs demanding transgender rights. “Our purpose is to raise awareness of the very real violence that is continuing to happen to transgender people in our military, and in the general public. This is about the love, peace and acceptance that America needs now, not tomorrow, right now,” according to Shannon Garcia, one of the protesters. Medina Leon is the most recent death of a transgender immigrant seeking asylum. In 2018, Roxsana Hernandez Rodriguez died of dehydration in U.S. custody. A New Mexico medical investigation into her death disputes an independent autopsy’s findings that Rodriguez was beaten in custody — allegations ICE denies. About 20 minutes after the event started, the protests quieted and the speeches became audible. Mayor Tim Keller was introduced by Craig LaBerge-Esparza, the president of PrideFest, as a “friend of the LGBTQ community.” The mayor spoke for just over five minutes, thanking the crowd and calling for reflection on civil rights. Keller said he was concerned about the death of Medina Leon
and other transgender immigrants. “It’s hard to understand how we are not talking more about how they’re targeted because of transgender status,” he said. “I believe that it is discrimination on top of discrimination and how we’ve gotta say something about it.” Keller then spoke on marriage equality, bullying of LGBT youth and the vandalism of crosswalks in Albuquerque. The city painted crosswalks rainbow colors at the intersection of Morningside Drive and Central Avenue to celebrate Pride week. A video uploaded to Facebook showed a group of motorcyclists taking turns skidding on the crosswalk. Keller called the actions of the motorcyclists a “symbolic act of hate,” and said they “will not be accepted.” The vigil also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Morningside park Two Pillar monument which was installed to celebrate the Albuquerque LGBT community, and as a memorial for lives lost. June 28 marks the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall — a peaceful gathering of the LGBT community at a local inn turned into a brutal police riot in New York in 1969. A member from Equality New Mexico, an organization
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rainbow crosswalk
Lauren McDonald / Daily Lobo / @DailyLobo
Rainbow Crosswalk on Morningside and Central on Route 66
By Lauren McDonald @DailyLobo The city unveiled their display for the Pride crosswalks painted rainbow colors on historic Route 66, at the intersection of Morningside Drive and Central Avenue — but that display was then vandalized a few days later. A video uploaded to Facebook showed a group of motorcyclists taking turns skidding on the crosswalk.
Mayor Tim Keller called the actions of the motorcyclists a “symbolic act of hate,” and said they “will not be accepted.” “No doubt from what I’ve seen on Facebook, on purpose, it is, in many ways was an act of hate,” he said. “That is much more than a crosswalk, that is a symbol of our city’s commitment to inclusion, and that’s why when you deface it, you stand up on the wrong side of that argument.”
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On the Daily Lobo website DOMACHOT: Photo Story — Pridefest car show
MALER: UNM Track and field update
Crosswalks page 6