The Huffington Post reported that Puerto Rico's legislature has been working to eliminate protections currently provided by the existing hate crime law for people based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. Department of Justice released a report that revealed hate crimes are under-reported in Puerto Rico.
Advocates are estimating that while there have been a reported 17 deaths related to hate crimes against gays in Puerto Rico since 2010, the actual figures are much higher.
One case involved the brutal murder of a gay 19 year-old who was decapitated, dismembered, and burned two years ago in central Puerto Rico. His murder has not been investigated as a hate crime.
LGBT rights activists argue that Puerto Rico's justice system does not protect the gay community and U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velazquez said that amending the hate crime law to "weaken hate crime protections is an unconscionable affront to our community," according to the article.
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