GREATER PHOENIX LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF BERNARDO PANTALEON, SEEKS JUSTICE FOR THOSE RESPONSIBLE
LGBTQ+ community member murdered in November appears to have been targeted due to his sexuality.
PHOENIX — Phoenix Pride, one•n•ten, ONE Community, Aunt Rita’s Foundation, Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS and the Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce have jointly issued the following statement:
“The leaders and members of the Greater Phoenix LGBTQ+ and allied community are absolutely outraged at the senseless, vicious and warrantless murder of local community member Bernardo Pantaleon.
“Bernardo, who openly identified as LGBTQ+, was the victim of a brutal homicide at the end of November. While the investigation into Bernardo’s murder is ongoing, reporting indicates that he was specifically targeted due to his sexuality. According to court records reported in the press, the four suspects currently in custody pending charges for Bernardo’s torture and murder are gang-affiliated and plotted to rob and kill Bernardo. The four have been charged with multiple felonies, including first degree murder. Police and prosecutors are still determining whether to file hate crime charges in relation to Bernardo’s murder.
“As a community, we mourn Bernardo’s death and in the name of all those who have been lost to the tide of recent violence and rhetoric targeting our community, we will continue to fight until everyone can live freely, securely and safely, regardless of where they come from or the color of their skin, the faith they follow or whom they love.
“We honor Bernardo Pantaleon’s memory and send our heartfelt condolences to his family, his friends and all in the community who are mourning this terrible loss. And, in the same breath, we vow to continue to stand strong as a community and to declare, with one voice, that we are here, we are united, and we will not be marginalized, silenced or erased. Our community is one of strength and resilience, and as we seek justice for the perpetrators of this horrible and senseless crime, we will continue to stand as we always do: Together.”
#JusticeForBernie