The New York Times, citing law enforcement officials, is reporting that the F.B.I. is “increasingly skeptical” of the widely-reported notion that Orlando gunman Omar Mateen was a gay man driven by self-loathing to kill other people like him.
The inquiry is in early stages but investigators apparently have come to suspect that reports by patrons of Pulse nightclub that Mateen had been visiting gay clubs or that he had used gay dating apps are either false or a case of mistaken identity. Mateen’s wife, Noor Zahi Salman, accompanied the killer to Pulse before he stormed it in order to determine its vulnerabilities to an attack but he did not necessarily spend time there regularly.
Instead, the bureau is focusing on Mateen’s history of virulently antigay comments at work and elsewhere, where he regularly professed hatred of gay people, and messages he posted to Facebook during his rampage inside the club. “Now taste the Islamic state vengeance,” he declared, condemning “the filthy ways of the west.” Mateen’s own obsessively antigay father has said that his son’s mass slaughter may have been motivated by witnessing two men kissing.
According to a letter to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Senator Ron Johnson learned in intelligence briefings that Mateen demanded that the United States stop targeting the Islamic State for elimination in Syria and Iraq. He also “pledged allegiance” to the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and asked, “may Allah accept me.”
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Since adolescence, The Times discovered, Mateen has been arrested, suspended and fired from school and jobs multiple times for crimes and misdemeanors ranging from assault to domestic violence to making threats.
One school report alleges that as a student Mateen was “constantly moving, verbally abusive, rude, aggressive,” often abusing other students while engaging in “much talk about violence & sex.”
S.anderson
That’s right. Don’t take the gays at their word. Silly things must be imagining things as usual!
Since day one, the feds have been forcibly trying to make this about international terrorism. They NEED a terrorist to help their push to seize all the weapons. Some of the talking heads even tried to disclaim that this was an attack on homosexuals at all. The whole viral “this was an attack on all of us” thing the media was running with was a slap in our face disguised as a national feel-good group hug. Who doesn’t see all the hawks flapping around trying to spin this to their personal advantage?
Let’s be real. This guy may have been inspired by Islamists, but he did everything on his own. He may have sent off for a ISIS membership card, but he got his training from our sprawling Ministry of the Fatherland. The finger is pointing at the FBI repeatedly giving him a pass as they gradually groomed him to become a “real” terrorist whom they could save the day and “intercept” before he could hurt innocent Palin-Ahmurrcans. Mateen just pushed the timetable up and lashed out at his own personal demons without warning. How many other ticking timebombs have the feds been sowing?
The Pulse massacre was just a good old fashioned mass-murder. Him being Islamic and using a military weapon doesn’t round it up to an act of evil directed by our current decade’s convenient enemy, ISIS. This was about how twisted the mind of a religious conservative gets when confronted with the conflict of his natural sexual orientation.
This was about ignorance, self-loathing and being brought up excluding whole populations from the dignity of being recognized as human. Having no respect for all human life. This kind of thing won’t end until we all embrace and live by the truth.
Brian
The FBI must be joking or incompetent. There are multiple reports of Omar being at Pulse over a year or more and also the recollections from men who claim to have been propositioned by Omar. Then you have the wife’s comments too.
As I said, the FBI is either joking or incompetent. I hope it is the former.
klaw
The worst part is….I can’t even think of a terrible punishment for this man.
Dave Downunder
@klaw: It’s a little hard to punish the dead.
Billy Budd
I am very worried. It seems politics dominates everything. Even the truth. It is obvious that the guy was a closeted gay man. Multiple people said that he routinely got carried out, completely drunk, from the gay nightclub.
Billy Budd
Even his wife said that he had gay tendencies.
Billy Budd
And his college buddies.
Brian
If Omar had homosexual tendencies, that doesn’t make him gay-identifying. He was sufficiently attracted to women to NOT want to identify as gay. It was his right to not identify as gay. He got erect with women.
Perhaps he was repulsed by the promiscuity and sleaze he saw at Pulse. This was a guy who was brought up to frown upon promiscuity, don’t forget.
Brian
@Billy Budd: Gay tendencies don’t cancel out straight tendencies, darls.
klaw
He’s dead,oww shii…..I didn’t know.
Sluggo2007
This is a classic case of a closeted gay man snapping under his own self-hatred. No wonder this country is screwed. FBI agents are either all closeted or they’ve got their heads planted firmly up their asses or they’re trying to be politically correct or all three.
iggy6666
@Brian: do you not have a filter??!?! Some of the shit you post. Referring to the dead as sleaze….. And your constant “gay identifying” and woman bashing. Silence is golden
Baba Booey Fafa Fooey
But has anybody had sex with the shooter? Has anybody come forward to claim this? If he has had sex with guys and they remain silent, which probably would not happen, then he is closeted. If nobody comes forward, then I cast my doubts. Going to gay clubs and propositioning guys on gay dating media apps means nothing. He sounded like a harassing individual who harrassed gay men.
Billy Budd
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: Getting routinely drunk among gays means he was conflicted. Even you must acknowledge that. Don’t forget that he also took the initiative to INVITE his friends to gay bars when he was in college.
Billy Budd
@abnerbha: How old are you? You sound like a 12-yo scared idiot.
curan
Can someone post the Jack’s, Grindr, and A4A accounts so we can get some public scrutiny?
GC1985
@abnerbha: You are an idiot. Please go away. We don’t need your hate speech and falsehoods on here.
At any rate, as far as this article… They can try to cast doubt all they want, but they say the most homophobic men are often hiding something. There are witness accounts of him trying to get with men. This was not Daesh influenced.
myloginname
@Brian: I had a Muslim BF in the past, really sweet but scarred from growing up Muslim in USA. We were pretty serious and he had the b@lls to come out to his parents and tell them about his sexuality and relationship with me. His father simply told him, “You are not gay.” He now has a lovely wife.
Brian
@iggy6666: You’re ridiculous and need to get a life.
Masc Pride
This is why I said media needs to sit back and let the investigators do their jobs instead of reporting a whole bunch of he said/she said. There has been more and more sensationalizing and politicizing of this massacre, probably more so than any other. I also felt like this rush to claim Mateen as a closeted homosexual inadvertently started to humanize him by showing him as someone who was struggling. It almost creates a sympathy for him, and he becomes a victim instead of a rampage killer.
tazz602
I’ve never believed he was closeted – he may have been doing recon – the questions he asked about what clubs are busy, etc and then going and just sitting and watching – no one has come forward saying they had sex with him. I think he was disturbed and was planning this for a long time.
GC1985
@Masc Pride: There are eyewitness accounts supporting the argument. And no… This wasn’t about recon. This wasn’t Daesh influenced. Republicans want you to think this is a Daesh influenced attack. I won’t accept some off the record off key remarks by this is incompetent agency.
The guy was self hating. This isn’t about sympathy. Donald Trump was wrong once again. And gun control laws are not tough enough as this guy has a history of violence. He was an alcoholic too (Muslims aren’t allowed to drink).
GC1985
@abnerbha: Nope. Your argument is disgusting and I guarantee none of the victims were. Go take your infantile hatred somewhere else. You have not one shred of proof for anything you say. If you can’t back up what you say, don’t make the claim.
IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou
@S.anderson: Yeah that’s right blame the barbaric muslim cult since it caused this. That’s the way it should be.
GC1985
@abnerbha: No. Not offended. I know you don’t what you are talking about. The vast majority of gay people are not victims of pedophilia. You are wrong. Admit it.
Masc Pride
@GC1985: I didn’t say it was about recon; that was the user below me. However, I totally agree with him. What those eyewitnesses claim to have seen only confirms that he was there observing. Nothing else. His wife was apparently the one that drove him. It’s textbook casing, and if true, it also means she’s more involved than she’s leading the public to believe. He could’ve sent c0ck photos online, doesn’t mean they were his c0ck. Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen guys send fake pics to entice guys on gay sites and get them to come meet so they can rob or bash. Let the FBI do its job. They know more than you do.
GC1985
@IDoNotHaveToAgreeWithYou: Of course Trump wants you to repeat his lies. Free falling in the polls must hurt.
Masc Pride
The wife had a lot to say from the jump, which was rather odd. Could’ve totally been an attempt to divert attention from any involvement she may have had. There’s a reason why the investigation has turned towards her.
GC1985
@Masc Pride: The remarks that were made were from one news article. They were off the record and not confirmed as by people even on the investigation. The FBI has already proved it’s incompetence. Republicans want this to be a Daesh attack but I doubt that greatly.
gilmanr
Sadly, this is a story about internalized homophobia and self loathing, but not with respect to Omar Mateen. There was never any substantive evidence that he was gay. Rumors about club sightings spread like wildfire, of course, but they were only that. It is possible that he used gay social media, but we have nothing concrete other than his questions about which gay clubs were “poppin,” which falls in line with his motives. According to his wife, he did visit Pulse once to scope it out, and made her drive him there (hardly the actions of someone on the dl.
I am relieved, thrilled, strengthened in my resolve by the fact that Mateen is not gay. Some, however, appear almost disappointed. They wanted him to be gay from the moment they learned of the tragedy. Why? Because that’s what they do when someone hurts us: they point their fingers and call him a fag. Any politician whose head is so far up his ass that he works to actively oppress us must be a closet case. Pedophile priest? Yep, closet case.
This was a hate crime and this was terrorism. His words and actions made that horrifyingly clear. This is not a matter of gay pathology, however, unless we make it one.
Masc Pride
@GC1985: If only the FBI was as competent as you with your conspiracy theories.
@tazz602: Totally agree with you. His behavior was pretty shady even by the accounts of people who claim to have seen him before the attack. No sexual interaction. No desire to participate. Only observation. And he apparently seemed mentally unstable even to those who made the claims. I think the ex-wife tried to put out the idea that he was gay to cover up her involvement.
GC1985
I will wait and see. you don’t know anything either and are jumping to conclusions about the guys wife. You are believing one news article over the other.
Chris
Today, I read how attention is shifting over to his father’s influence. Apparently, the old man has his own issues, including a social media presence that is Anti-American and Anti-Pakistini as well as his being a very hard-to-please father. Layers upon layers…..
Masc Pride
My opinion that the ex-wife was simply trying to divert attention away from any involvement she may have had was very clearly stated as an opinion. I’m not the one questioning the competency of the FBI. Ultimately, I will wait to see what the FBI has to report after they conclude their investigation.
Paco
So the classmate that said the shooter had once asked him to date is a liar? It just seems strange that so many people had mistaken the shooter for someone else.
iggy6666
Gc1985 is a liar. The article on trump being 70 he says he’s never lived in Florida. And in the initial report of the shooting he stated in caps he use to live there.
GC1985
@Masc Pride: If she is involved in any way shape or form she should be prosecuted. I do not believe this was an act influenced by Daesh however.
@iggy6666: Loser is back at it? Come at me with something original please. I have visited Florida… But never lived there. One of my friends moved there for few years for college and I visited Miami on several occasions.
@Paco: Yea I am not buying the argument he wasn’t at least bisexual. But all of that is irrelevant to this tragedy.
We need tougher gun control laws across the board. Most Americans now agree. A vast majority.
Tobi
@GC1985: We all know you’re bat shit crazy, so why bother to deny that you’re a serial and compulsive liar too? For example:
Jul 12: @I used to live in Florida.
July 16: @I have never lived in Florida.
I’m not sure you’ve realised yet, but no-one takes you seriously here at Queerty, we all regard you as a fantasist who’s completely gaga about Nazis, paedophiles and Hilary Clinton, although not necessarily in that order.
In future, I suggest you stick to commenting on Ru Paul and Justin Bieber, the kind of stuff you know a lot about. In regard to the serious stories like this, just sit quietly in the corner and play with your Barbie, whilst the grown ups talk.
OK? Fab!
Tobi
Jul 12: @I used to live in Florida:
Dave084
I suspected the closeted self-hating “kill those like me because I hate myself” motive before it was ever reported. And I still think that.
Captain Obvious
The government doesn’t want it coming out that he was really just gay and had a vendetta. They have an agenda to push the terrorism story because they’re already planning for multiple new wars once Obama is out of office.
This time we are the Nazis and we’re going after all Muslims. This country never changes. It was founded on genocide. The death and destruction continues.
Oddly enough they chose a very large group of people in the billions to pick on. I don’t know why so many white people have been duped into believing they’re the majority in the world. White people are the smallest group of people in the world and a good portion ARE MUSLIM! Derp.
iggy6666
@GC1985: sorry. Words of a liar aren’t worth much. Not only did you say your lived in Florida. But used all CAPS to stress your tell tale. The part about having friends was also a dead give away.
Tobi
@iggy6666: It’s also sickening that @GC1985 deliberately misused and abused this tragedy and told a pack of pathetic lies in an attempt to illicit sympathy from other commentators here at Queerty. It only goes to show the depth of their mental illness that they felt comfortable in using these horrific deaths and injuries to boost their own twisted and depraved ego. Ugh.
dean089
@Baba Booey Fafa Fooey: That’s what I’ve been thinking. Everything I’ve heard/read sounds like he was stalking his prey, not looking for a hook-up.
Hussain-TheCanadian
@Captain Obvious: Save it captain Obvious, the sheep are unable to understand human speech. They like their “white vs black”, “republican vs democrat”, “Islam vs the world” – they don’t want their little heads hurt.
girldownunder
“…Instead, the bureau is focusing on Mateen’s history of virulently antigay comments at work and elsewhere…”
Just like every closet-case who eventually gets outed does?
GC1985
@Tobi: Maybe you could ask me for clarification instead of insulting me. I misspoke. I been to Florida more times than I can count though. Never made it to Orlando though. I do have family living there too (one relative), but I personally haven’t.
You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about, idiot. Nobody asked you to post a reply to me.
GC1985
@Tobi: I didn’t misuse and abuse anything. You right wingers are calling for violence.
I’m simply against violence.
I’ll take the higher route here. I’m done replying to you. You can keep going on about how right you are all you want… but it doesn’t mean anything in the end.
I don’t care for two stupid assholes who don’t have much going on in their life and someone who defends criminal activity (like you Tobi).
GC1985
I’ll add one more thing… you right wingers love that this attack happened so you can go on about your stupid demented fantasies about Daesh being everywhere while jacking off to Donald Shithead Trump.
Bob LaBlah
@Tobi: About two years ago he kept on and on talking about how cute he was and how his boyfriend loved to take him out and take pictures of him and put them on the internet. When pressed for proof he then claimed that his name was Reubenana and those pictures of her were him. That too proved to be a lie because it is obvious that person is below thirty years old, as GC claimed he was.
The best thing to do (in his case) is let him sit there and talk to himself. This is what happens when kids in grade school think being the center of attention will last forever. They will do anything to keep their fantasy going, as he clearly does. The worst thing you can do to a child crying out for attention is IGNORE them. But its effects work every time.
GC1985
@Bob LaBlah: I never posted pictures of my boyfriend and I on the internet. In addition, you went on and on about some youtube video you had in your personal questions.
Listen up you old drag queen, nobody cares what you think anymore. Your time was back in the 1960s. This is 2016. Time to get rid of all that worn out lingerie, you smelly queen.
GC1985
@GC1985: *personal collection.
Tell me, how big is your drag queen video collection? I’m surprised you don’t post more stupid videos. Nobody gives two sh*ts what you have to say Bob. You’re a fuck up and slacker in life.
GC1985
Bob is suffering from alzheimers disease. I never said my name was that. Don’t be surprised if the old nut posts a video of some drag queen he found on the internet! His mind is melting away!
Alistair Wiseman
@Bob LaBlah:
@Tobi:
I used to respond to his posts, but stopped some time ago after I realized there is a degree of mental illness involved. If you have noticed, his posts have been more rambling and unhinged in the last year. I hope he gets some help for himself.
Until recently, it bothered me that his posts were always in the way taking up space. But now I want people to read them to see what happens to a leftist addled mind. 🙂
GC1985
Right wingers on here are mentally sick and are now trying to profit off the deaths of 49 people. They view an opportunity. I think we all need to email queerty immediately to get this cancer removed from this site. They’ll claim we’re trying to “silence them”, but spitting on the graves of 49 victims is a bridge too far.
By the way… check out this picture of Alistair’s favorite candidate:
http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/articles/2015/12/07/donald-trump-loves-muslims-if-they-re-rich/jcr:content/image.img.2000.jpg/1449604571662.cached.jpg
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAH
He sold a piece of property to A SAUDI PRINCE. YUP IN NEW YORK. Trump is helping Muslims to come to America.
GC1985
Everybody it is important you CONTACT queerty immediately.
We must remove this hatred from this site!
[email protected]
We must all have them removed.
There hatred towards the victims in Florida in order to use them for their political agenda has gone far enough.
IT IS ENOUGH! EMAIL QUEERTY AND HAVE THESE ANTI-GAY TROLLS (INCLUDING ALISTAIR) removed!
Giancarlo86
PROVEN LIAR >>>>>> @GC1985: <<<<<<< PROVEN LIAR
GC1985
@Giancarlo86: >>>>> prove idiot and online predator!!!! Steals usernames.
So what did I lie about? I’m waiting.
Giancarlo86
@GC1985: You lied about being me. You lied about living in Florida. You lied about being Ruby Rue @reubenana. You lie and lie and lie.
iggy6666
@GC1985: a half dozen people have clarified what you lied about…… funny how you’re all for banning shit disturbers from site considering you’re probably the sites top offender
GC1985
@iggy6666: As as Florida, I misspoke about living there. You could have asked me like an adult. Nope. You are a stupid little child with a screwed up mind. I highly doubt you would say any of this to my face. You didn’t even comment when this tragedy happened and that makes you even more vile and disgusting.
And a half dozen people? Dream on!
iggy6666
@GC1985: lol. Ok liar….. such a big tuff keyboard warrior!!!stop back pedaling, like I said, you stressed the fact you LIVED there with caps and immediately went back to normal low case format. It’s not so much that I give a shit about you lying, but when you accuse everyone else of lying it’s quite bittersweet to see you getting caught!
And I definitely have empathy for the victims. Unlike you however I don’t need to falsify a personal connection to tradegy to validate it
gilmanr
@Paco: It’s not really unusual for a case that has received this much media attention to end up with a high number of misidentifications, and the FBI know this better than anyone. Once his face was seen by tens of millions in Florida, it takes only the tiniest percentage of people who are either genuinely confused or attention seekers to produce this sort of response.
My concern is not so much about his being misidentified as gay, it’s about the disappointment many seem to be feeling with this development. Sadly, some in our community have been disparaged themselves for being gay so mercilessly that when a villain of this asshole’s stature emerges their default reaction is to call him gay.
MyDadPulledOut
“The president is desperately trying to disconnect these dots, but the hard truth is there’s a much broader network of support for these so-called “lone wolf” terrorists within their Muslim families and the larger Muslim community than the public is being told.”
get a clue…
Paco
@gilmanr: The ex-wife (not the current wife that knew about his attack planning), is reportedly claiming that the FBI told her not to talk to the media about the gay stuff. I highly doubt the ex-classmate was making things up about the shooter asking him to romantically date in the past.
I think the government needs the focus to be on international Islamic terrorism and will do everything to keep the narrative focused on that, even though the shooter seemed to be confused about the terrorist groups he was admiring. Apparently not even aware that those groups are against each other.
Things don’t seem to be adding up.