The Orlando shooter's sexuality doesn't matter. It's still a hate crime.

[demmiblue]

Source: Mashable

<snip>

The hesitation to address the sexuality of the victims is something many members of the community called a type of queer erasure, preventing the community from rightfully claiming the trauma as theirs, or pointing out the faults of a homophobic culture.

But now, talk surrounding the shooter's sexuality has shifted views of the attack, minimizing it as violence only within the LGBTQ community. And that gives non-LGBTQ people — and a culture looking to deflect blame — the ability to wash their hands of the larger discussion around homophobia.

"Whether or not he was on an app or visited the club before, this is homophobia at its absolute worst."

Many LGBTQ advocates are critical of the attention placed on the shooter’s possible sexuality. It's a focus they say is harmful, detracting from the hate and homophobic culture that fueled the attack.

"Whether or not he was on an app or visited the club before, this is homophobia at its absolute worst," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, tells Mashable. "This is another example of homophobia turning into horrific violence, right here in our own borders. This is something we must put a stop to — the hate and discrimination."

<snip>

"This is someone who was homophobic and went after the LGBTQ community in one of our safest havens — a place where we come together in fellowship and community to be our authentic selves," she says. "It cuts to the core of the LGBTQ community and the violence we've experienced for decades."

Read more: http://mashable.com/2016/06/14/orlando-shooting-hate-crime/#corVurmK.iq6

[jberryhill]

1. Correct

What defines a "hate crime" is the motivation for selection of the victim. The identity of the perpetrator is not a factor.

[methinks2]

2. It is the result of severe mental illness

That is what we need to talk about. The big elephant in the room. When someone crosses the line between saying they don't like something, and moves forward to wanting people dead and then killing them because of perceived beliefs, they are delusional. They have severe mental illness. We as a a society need to pay more attention to those around us. If someone you know is ranting about hatred and saying that someone else needs to be killed for any reason, you need to report them. You can make anonymous reports. If it's at work, report them to the HR department . Recommend that they get the needed medical/psychological intervention. If enough people had reported this sick person beforehand, maybe this could have been prevented.

[unblock]

5. even this is way too simplistic.

sure, mental health is important and we should make sure people with mental illnesses have suitable treatment.

but only a tiny fraction of those with mental illnesses end up as mass killers. there's more going on than simply the mental condition of the killer.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

6. I grant you mental illness but I don't know how severe it is.

We are a violent species. Mass murder is what we have been doing since cave man days.

6 million Jews, 50 million in the war, 3 million Vietnamese, 3 million Cambodians, 1 million Tutsis, how many million Iraqis? Isis, Isil and on and on and on.

That's the reason homophobia and hate speech is so effective and needs to be stamped out.

[Nye Bevan]

3. Islamic extremists murdering gay people is indeed a horrible thing,

regardless of the sexual orientation of the Islamic extremists committing the murders.

[unblock]

4. i agree that there are many aspects about the killer that don't matter

the effect matters, and the fact that a place with a high concentration of homosexual people was targeted matters.

that said, we can't hope to make any progress on the problem of mass shootings and homophobic violence without understanding what drives these people to commit such horrific crimes.

no one has a monopoly on homophobic brainwashing, and it has tortured many people. but most assuredly it causes the greatest torture for those people who are homosexual themselves and can't reconcile their feelings with their brainwashing. it's no surprise that it sometimes ends in violence. most often, that violence self-directed, and many teen suicides are the result. but sometimes it's directed outward, and this tragedy is but one example.

the hate has to stop, in all its forms. it's not enough to condemn the shooting. we have to put and end to the rampant homophobia that passes for political discourse, locker room humor, and prime time entertainment.

[demmiblue]

7. Kick.