Frank Ocean penned an open letter about the mass shooting at an Orlando gay bar that claimed 49 lives.
In his note which he posted on Tumblr on Tuesday, Ocean mentioned conspiracy theories that surfaced on social media in the hours following the massacre.
“I heard on the news that the aftermath of a hate crime left piles of bodies on a dance floor this month. I heard the gunman feigned dead among all the people he killed. I heard the news say he was one of us,” wrote Ocean, referring to gays.
The openly gay musician has been missing in action since he came out of the closet. His honesty and openness were not well received within the hip hop community, which ostracized him.
“Many hate us and wish we didn’t exist,” he wrote. “Many are annoyed by our wanting to be married like everyone else or use the correct restroom like everyone else. Many don’t see anything wrong with passing down the same old values that send thousands of kids into suicidal depression each year. So we say pride and we express love for who and what we are. Because who else will in earnest?”
The rambling letter covers a wide range of topics, but mainly focuses on homophobia, depression, trans bathroom rights, and gay marriage.
Ocean, who admits he has suffered from depression, wrote:
“I was six years old when I heard my dad call our transgender waitress a faggot as he dragged me out a neighborhood diner saying we wouldn’t be served because she was dirty. That was the last afternoon I saw my father and the first time I heard that word, I think, although it wouldn’t shock me if it wasn’t. Many hate us and wish we didn’t exist.”
In the 2 weeks since the mass shooting, no one has provided any evidence other than hearsay that the Orlando gunman was gay.
