Orlando, Florida is home to the happiest place on earth, Disney World. However, a storm rolled in over The Sunshine State the night of June 12, 2016. 49 people were slaughtered at a gay nightclub in the worst terror attack since 9/11 and the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
According to his parents, the gunman, Omar Mateen had previously expressed outrage after seeing two men kiss in Miami, but they didn’t seem to think much of it at the time. As far as this crime being deemed an act of hate, many news sources have looked the other way and written it off as just another terrorist attack. This massacre was so much more than an assertion of dominance by ISIS; the shooter obviously had ulterior motives when choosing the location.
Mateen pledged his allegiance to the Islamic state through Facebook and a variety of websites associated with the ISIS news agency. Despite the fact that this message was posted in Arabic, CNN translator, Salma Abdelaziz remains skeptical as to whether or not Mateen was an ISIS fighter himself. Apparently, the Arabic word for “gay” was used rather than an epithet, making the language inconsistent with previous announcements.
Many have reason to believe that Omar Mateen was struggling with his sexuality and may have used ISIS as a sort of scapegoat for his anger and frustration. Several regulars at Pulse, the nightclub, reported him visiting frequently over the years and have even spotted him on the gay dating app, Grindr. While Mateen’s ex wife remains unsure of his sexuality, the gunman’s father, Seddique Mateen stands firm in his belief that his son was straight. He referred to Mateen’s wife and son as substantiation in his case, but that doesn’t seem to mean anything nowadays; ever heard of a beard?
It isn’t uncommon for people to have a hard time coming to terms with their sexuality. Seddique Mateen was a vocal supporter of the Taliban, so it wouldn’t surprise me if Omar Mateen had grown to resent the person he had become. This world is cruel. Anyone daring enough to go against the grain is essentially shunted into the leper colony. As a writer, I feel it is only healthy to discuss all possibilities without jumping to conclusions. 49 innocent people were killed a little over a week ago. We must keep in mind that it is far too early to declare a definitive motive.
My heart is with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives on June 12, 2016.
