At least four regular customers at the Orlando gay nightclub where a gunman killed 49 people said Monday that they had seen Omar Mateen there before.
“Sometimes he would go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself, and other times he would get so drunk he was loud and belligerent,” Ty Smith said.
Smith told the Orlando Sentinel that he saw Mateen inside at least a dozen times.
“We didn’t really talk to him a lot, but I remember him saying things about his dad at times,” Smith said. “He told us he had a wife and child.” ….
Another Pulse regular, Kevin West, told the Los Angeles Times that Mateen messaged him on and off for a year using a gay chat app.
They had never met, West said, but he watched as Mateen entered the club about 1 a.m. Sunday, an hour before the shooting began.
There’s quite a bit of information about Mateen’s connections to law enforcement in the article. I think those could reveal a great deal about his personality as well as his attitudes toward homosexuality. I’m sure we’ll be learning more in the days ahead.
According to The Daily Mail, even Mateen’s ex-wife says he had “gay tendencies.” From the article:
Many in the Orlando gay community are now coming forward to share similar stories of seeing Mateen at clubs for the past decade or speaking to him on hookup apps….
Regulars at Pulse said they saw Mateen several times over the past three years drinking alcohol and dancing with men.
A couple who perform as drag-queens at the popular venue in 1912 South Orange Avenue said they had seen the 29-year-old party at Pulse.
Ty Smith and Chris Callen said the father-of-one was sometimes so drunk he had to be removed from the club.
Callen, who performs as Kristina McLaughlin, said: ‘I’ve seen him a couple of times at Pulse, a couple of other people that I’ve spoken with, including an-ex security guard, have actually witnessed this guy at Pulse many times before.’
Smith said he’d seen Mateen at Pulse ‘at least a dozen times.’
‘We didn’t really talk to him a lot, but I remember him saying things about his dad at times,’ Smith said. ‘He told us he had a wife and child.’
A security guard who worked at the club two years ago still remembered Mateen turning up to the venue, he added.
Orlando’s gay community is still reeling from the tragedy, and those who had seen Mateen at gay clubs before seem to all have a story to share about his temper.
Callen said Mateen, who seemed like a ‘nice guy’ and was ‘comfortable’ with the draq queens, threatened someone with a knife when he became angry about a religious joke.
Remarks that Mateen drank heavily conflict with his apparently strict adherence to his Muslim faith, including regular worship at a mosque in his home town of Port St. Lucie – where he was quiet and kept to himself.
It seems fairly obvious that Mateen’s attack on The Pulse was a terrorist attack against the LGBT community perpetrated by a confused young man–just as the murders at Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs were a terrorist attack against women, despite that fact that authorities won’t call it one. The only reason the focus in the Orlando attack has been on connections to foreign terrorism is that Omar Mateen’s parents came from Afghanistan. They were here long before 9/11, because Mateen was born in Queens, NY and he was 29 years old.
Here’s a 2012 article from Scientific American on the possible connections between homophobia and repressed homosexuality: Homophobes Might Be Hidden Homosexuals.
Homophobes should consider a little self-reflection, suggests a new study finding those individuals who are most hostile toward gays and hold strong anti-gay views may themselves have same-sex desires, albeit undercover ones.
The prejudice of homophobia may also stem from authoritarian parents, particularly those with homophobic views as well, the researchers added.
“This study shows that if you are feeling that kind of visceral reaction to an out-group, ask yourself, ‘Why?'” co-author Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, said in a statement. “Those intense emotions should serve as a call to self-reflection.”
The research, published in the April 2012 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, reveals the nuances of prejudices like homophobia, which can ultimately have dire consequences. [The 10 Most Destructive Human Behaviors]
“Sometimes people are threatened by gays and lesbians because they are fearing their own impulses, in a sense they ‘doth protest too much,'” Ryan told LiveScience. “In addition, it appears that sometimes those who would oppress others have been oppressed themselves, and we can have some compassion for them too, they may be unaccepting of others because they cannot be accepting of themselves.”
Ryan cautioned, however, that this link is only one source of anti-gay sentiments.
Read much more about these studies at the link.
It’s very important not to allow the media and Republicans to erase the fact that the attack on The Pulse was an attack on the rights of people in the LGBT community and their freedom to gather and support each other in public places.
A few more relevant links:
The Atlantic: The Extraordinarily Common Violence Against LGBT People in America.
Erasing 76 Crimes: 1000s who died in anti-gay, anti-trans attacks (updates).
The New York Times: Before Orlando, There Was New Orleans.
The Daily Beast: Drag Queen: Anti-Gay Terrorist Omar Mateen Was My Friend.
The Christian Science Monitor: For gay community, Orlando a sign threats remain amid growing tolerance.
The Desert Sun: Anti-gay community has blood on its hands: Column.
What stories are you following today? Please post your thoughts and links in the comment thread below.
So many of those killed or injured were young and Latino–and from all over.
Mass. Native Shot in Orlando Tragedy Speaks Out.
Many of them worked at Disney as well. My daughter knew one of the victims from her time working there. The thing about the people who work for Disney, especially in the parks, is that they are gentle, loving people. They are not doing it for the money because the money sucks and Disney is a strict employer but people work there because of a love of children and the joy and happiness kids experience when they go there. From what I understand, 13 of the dead were Disney or Universal Studios employees just out to have a good time on one of their cherished days off.
I hope we can change the media narrative. The terrorist angle is far less a compelling argument than the homophobia and easr access to guns. The more I find out about the extended FBI surveillance and interviews with Mateen, the more I question the radicalization notion as the sole motivator. If he was cruising on Grinder, he was looking for sex or love with men.
The point I tried to make in the post is that we must not permit violence against LGBT people to be erased by a focus on so-called “Islamic terrorism.”
The anti-woman terrorism of the Planned Parenthood attack has already gone down the memory hole because the shooter just happened to be a right wing white male.
Yes. It’s an excellent point too.
Read that empty wheel post I linked toon your blog post from yesterday. It deals with the fbi aspect.
Her point is essentially the same as mine, except I focused more on the psychological aspect. I find it very difficult to read her because of her irrational Hillary hatred, but she’s saying the same thing I did in my post.
That was a very good link,too. Much appreciated.
This is a great post, bb. Thank you for sorting through a complex set of information and facts and presenting it to us. I’ve been seeing links and pieces here and there all day but your post has brought everything together for me.
Thanks so much, Janice.
Thanks BB for the post today- I was interested in a psychological explanation for Mateen’s behavior and you have done a great job. Kudos!
I echo what others are saying, you put together a post on what I was most needing to understand. Thanks
Thanks. We can’t really know for sure what was going on with him. It sounds like his father was a tyrant, probably abusive. But he must have been terribly conflicted about his homosexual feelings because of his religion.
I know the more I find out about the father the more I think he just raised a sociopath. The dude never had a chance.
Thanks BB for helping us to understand several aspects, and terms that might be the cause of those who result to mass killings because they internalize the hate that more often than not, comes from families, and communities, religion and politics. This also makes me think of all the police profiling, and religious profiling that goes on in this country, and how this profiling is like an act of terror itself.
Right now Trump is painting this mass killing with a broad stroke in regards to blaming Muslims, and President Obama and Hillary for killing these gay people. He is creating more fear, that creates more hate, and then creates more deaths all around the world. That includes more younger people (including teens) committing suicide. Trump is not building support for people, he’s actually building more anxiety and agitation, and anger.
I know here in Idaho they do not have laws to protect the LBGT community with jobs, housing, and even in businesses and other facilities, including private clubs, and public places that accommodate the community.
I was listening to Rachel Maddow, one pastor was happy that the gays died, and hope all of them die, then Pat Robertson came on with his brand hate, saying the dems have it all confused with Isis. Mercy, damn them.
Politico: Russian government hackers broke into DNC servers, stole Trump oppo
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/russian-government-hackers-broke-into-dnc-servers-stole-trump-oppo-224315#ixzz4BZRkXRRg
Wonder if the oligarchs are looking out for the oligarch.
There are many twisted threads which culminated in this horrible event. A mentally disturbed person, given to violence, as witness the beating of his first wife. Probable gay tendencies and self-loathng as a result of them. Apparent hatred of Latinos. Radicalization, as evidenced by his trips to Saudi Arabia, the earlier questioning by the FBI because co-workers were concerned about the angry propaganda statements he was making. A person full of anger and hate, for whom the NRA controlled Republican Congress made it as easy as possible to buy an assault weapon.
Where does one start? There are increasing numbers of people. most of them men, but certainly some women, such as the wife in the San Bernadino mass killings, who believe that they must kill as many people as possible, for whatever fanatic or insane reason. All we can do is to try to keep assault weapons out of their hands, like they do in almost all the so-called civilized countries. But we are prisoners of the NRA, and of the Congress which does whatever the NRA wants them to do. And until and unless this gerrymandered Congress is somehow turned back into Democratic hands, nothing at all will be done about it. And that is the ongoing tragedy of America at this point. The rest of it is important, of course, but ultimately another dreary search into the personality of a distorted mind.
I just heard CNN’s Jake Tapper suggest that the President gave a really strong speech, today, because he doesn’t trust Hillary Clinton to make the case against Trump.
I hate Jake Tapper.
What a ridiculous thing to say. I’ve heard and read so much stupidity lately that I’m starting to lose all hope for this country.
Ha! That has already happened to me a long time ago. I keep asking myself every time one of these crazy conservatives ala Paul Ryan, Trump, Kasich etc. says something can he/we really be this stupid? I mean, we elect these people so ultimately we are going out of our way to elect the stupidest, vilest, most narcissistic people imaginable. I am starting to get the feeling that Hillary is our last hope.
Agreed. As well, I don’t see myself looking at FB much anymore. It has become a fucking wasteland with only insufferable preachy types and right wingers who are completely out of touch with reality. One shared a link saying Obama was ISIS’s leader and another is convinced that the Orlando shooter was a Muslim terrorist who “came in” to this country. I can’t even force myself to respond to these stupid, stupid people. And by the way, I actually know them.
Not to get all apocalyptic, I truly think it’s Hillary or the abyss.
Yes, and it starts with Trump.
Anazing how Tapper and the other sneering pundits come up with these concepts. They’re not based on any reality outside of the pundits’ own preconceptions and biases. Tapper couldn’t have missed Hilary’s speech of a couple of weeks ago, which was wonderful. Anyway, if Obama gave a good speech against Trump, we’ll take it. We’re never going to convince Tapper or most of the rest of them, who write their own narratives and never alter them. “Obama wonderful, Hillary iffy at best,” that is the story which they are comfortable with.
Hillary just gave a response to Trump in Pittsburgh. I wish she had waited until Obama was finished, but Tapper can certainly watch the video.
It appears that an awful lot of men cannot wrap their heads around a female Commander in Chief.
WTF?!
Okay, this is the NY Post so …
http://nypost.com/2016/06/13/shooter-used-to-visit-orlando-gay-club-use-gay-dating-apps/
Ex-wife’s bombshell claim: Club shooter was gay
It’s in my post from other sources.
Yeah, I read some of your links. Wasn’t sure if this had any additional stuff in it or not.
Top 7 ways to tell if Someone is lying about being a ‘Salafi Jihadi’
http://www.juancole.com/2016/06/someone-salafi-jihadi.html
Allegedly armed suspect shot inside an Amarillo Walmart
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/14/us/amarillo-walmart-armed-person/index.html?adkey=bn
shoot out at the not so ok Walmart?
What? no gun toting good guy at a walmart? Actual authorities had to deal with him?
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/amarillo-texas-walmart-active-shooter
Yeah, that’s a switch.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/poll-clinton-expands-lead-after-becoming-presumptive-nominee-n591531
Poll: Clinton Eats Away at Trump’s Lead Among Men, White Voters
Interesting.
Those moderate Republicans realizing they can’t vote the party line after all?
After Orlando, President Obama denounces Donald Trump on policy towards Muslims. ‘Where does it stop?’
Obama eruption comes one day after Trump called into question his commitment to defeating terrorists
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/after-orlando-president-obama-denounces-donald-trump-on-policy-towards-muslims-where-does-it-stop-a7082446.html
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That’s so funny.
Clinton Has 12-Point Edge Over Trump in Bloomberg National Poll
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-06-14/bloomberg-politics-national-poll-june-2016
Good news.
The bad news is, the next poll will show that she has an 11 point lead over him and the media will scream, “Clinton Losing Ground To Trump!”
Great post, BB. I don’t know why this stuff isn’t more obvious to others. They have their fingers in their ears, saying “la, la, la, terrorism, Islam, la la la.”