Suddenly, instead of simply (or not so simply) blaming the mass shooting on a dizzyingly noxious cocktail of hate, extremism, mental illness and offensively lax gun laws, we now must also grapple with the gruesome and all-too-familiar specter of internalized homophobia materializing to haunt this tragedy.
We don’t know if the shooter was queer (though, that didn’t stop some media outlets from immediately and irresponsibly sensationalizing that claim) and we may never know any of the secrets that may have constantly skittered that long dark hallway between his heart and his head. But, sadly, if he was, it wouldn’t be surprising. A study published in the April 2012 issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that “participants who reported their heterosexuality despite having hidden same-sex desires were also the most likely to show hostility toward gay individuals, including self-reported anti-gay attitudes, endorsement of anti-gay policies and discrimination such as supporting harsher punishments for homosexuals.” [...]
As I write this I’m already having premonitions of the comments awaiting me on social media in response to this piece. I know many people will disagree with me and claim that someone else’s sexual orientation is none of my business or that it’s “private” and — perhaps most shocking to me — that coming out doesn’t matter. But it does matter. We’ve seen time and time again that being exactly who we are without explanation or apology is the greatest weapon we have in changing people’s minds about who we are and what we’re capable of.
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