Friends and family gathered Wednesday to remember a Queens man killed because of his sexuality.
Julio Rivera was 29 years old when he was beaten to death 25 years ago for being gay.
Residents of the Jackson Heights community where he lived held a candellight vigil.
They say Rivera's death marked a turning point in the fight for LGBT rights in the city.
"LGBT rights would not have succeeded if it had only stayed in Manhattan," said City Councilman Daniel Dromm of Queens. "So the death of Julio allowed us to tell people that LGBT people live in the boroughs, that we're your family, your friends and your neighbors, and that made it a reality to people."
Two of Rivera's killers were eventually convicted, and a third was murdered during a drug deal in Mexico.