Death of Honduran gay activist illustrates spike in hate crimes

BY FRANCES ROBLES
FROBLES@MIAMIHERALD.COM

The recent killing of gay activist Walter Tróchez in Honduras shows a troubling increase in hate crimes in the past six months in the Central American nation that has been marred by a political crisis....

....Prior to Tróchez's murder, CIPRODEH enlisted New York attorney David Brown to research the issue of violence against the LGBT community. Brown documented 171 acts of violence since 2004, including rapes, stabbings, beatings and murders. Brown tallies another 10 murders since Zelaya's June ouster, but activists in Tegucigalpa say they count 18. Brown said his number is lower because he only counts incidents that were clearly hate crimes.

A May 2009 Human Rights Watch report said there were 17 murders of transgender people -- many of them prostitutes -- from 2004 to 2008.

``Since the coup, there's been a noticeable uptick in violence,'' Brown said. ``There is a social breakdown and a breakdown in law enforcement. You walk into government offices and you get the sense that nobody is doing anything.''

Honduras is currently ruled by an interim government that took power after the military ousted the president at gunpoint. The former president is at the Brazilian Embassy in Tegucigalpa, and much of the de facto government's attention the past few months has been focused on remaining in power.

A new administration takes over Jan. 27.

``It's not necessarily that people from the government are committing these crimes,'' Brown said, ``but it's clear that it's open season on this community.''....

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