Was Orlando Gunman Motivated by Homophobia? (Video)

@ 2026 Equal Entertainment LLC.
All rights reserved

 Was Orlando Gunman Motivated by Homophobia? 
  The father of Omar Mateen says seeing two men kissing in Miami a few months ago angered his son and could be what motivated him to kill 50 people and wound 53 others.
 
 Advocate.com Editors UPDATED
          
Mar 12, 2019 
Advocate.com Editors
 See Full Bio    
  
        FROM OUR SPONSORS
        
        The Latest
        
Opinion 
        A love letter to Provincetown and Family Week
      For one LGBTQ+ family from Indiana, Family Week offered something rare: the joy of being surrounded by families that looked like theirs.
 
Tonya Agnew
 
National 
        ‘Proud transphobe’ Nancy Mace targets RuPaul & Congressional Black Caucus on her way out of Congress
      The South Carolina Republican is escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ people and lawmakers of color.
 
Jacob Ogles
 
Opinion 
        Richard Gere told the truth about USAID. Trump’s bully answered like a schoolyard bigot
      White House communications director Steven Cheung reaches for a juvenile, 40-year-old sex fiction to criticize an actor’s defense of USAID, writes John Casey.
 
John Casey
 
Opinion 
        Andrew Tate's arrest shows the manosphere scam is unraveling
      Opinion: Many men held up as role models to boys are being exposed as dangerous charlatans, writes Josh Ackley.
 
Josh Ackley

 
        More For You
        
        Man convicted in O’Shae Sibley hate crime killing sentenced to 20 years in prison
     
Jacob Ogles
 Jul 17, 2026 
Jake Kelly carries the casket of his son, O'Shae Sibley, following funeral services and a celebration of life at the Met Philadelphia on August 08, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

        Spencer Platt/Getty Images
    
        A New York judge has sentenced O’Shae Sibley’s killer to 20 years in prison. Keep Reading → 
 
        Gunman killed after opening fire outside North Carolina gay bar
     
Jacob Ogles
 Jul 16, 2026 
Asheville, North Carolina, Forensic Services Unit vehicle, police department. 

        Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
    
        Police shot and killed an armed man outside a gay bar in Asheville, North Carolina. Keep Reading → 
 
        Philadelphia man accused of hunting and killing 2 gay men remains at large
     
Jacob Ogles
 Jul 07, 2026 
A close up view of the Philadelphia Police Department logo on a vehicle during Philadelphia's 2026 All-Star Game Declaration on July 18, 2025, at Dilworth Park, in Philadelphia, PA. 

        Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
    
        Philadelphia police say a man accused of killing two gay men because of their sexual orientation remains at large. Keep Reading → 
 
        Andrew Gillum’s troubled fall from Democratic star continues with Alabama drug arrest
     
Jacob Ogles
 Jul 07, 2026 
Andrew Gillum speaks onstage during AfroTech Conference 2025 at George R. Brown Convention Center on October 29, 2025, in Houston, Texas.

         Rick Kern/Getty Images for AfroTech
    
        Andrew Gillum, the bisexual candidate who narrowly lost a race for Florida Governor to Ron DeSantis, faces drug charges and potential prison time after an arrest in Alabama. Keep Reading → 
 
        FBI says it stopped possible mass shooting after threats to Texas Pride event
     
Jacob Ogles
 Jul 07, 2026 
The FBI says it thwarted a potential mass shooting at Lubbock Pride Fest in Texas.

        Shutterstock
    
        The FBI arrested a New Mexico man for allegedly threatening a mass shooting at a Pride parade in Texas. Keep Reading → 
 
        Most Popular
        
News 
        Washington coffee shop removes astonishingly transphobic sign with ableist slur after public outcry
      The mayor’s office in Spokane had initially defended the hateful sign as protected speech under the First Amendment.
 
Mathew Rodriguez
 
National 
        Powerful Democratic think tank's reset on transgender rights alarms advocates
      The Center for American Progress says its new framework will help Democrats confront anti-LGBTQ+ attacks without abandoning civil rights. Transgender people aren't so sure.
 
Christopher Wiggins
 
Opinion 
        Donald Trump tried to insult Jon Ossoff with Pee-wee Herman. The joke is on him
      The president reminded us who really embodies the bully, writes John Casey.
 
John Casey
 
States 
        Right-wingers mock trans student tased by UCF police after demanding not to be misgendered
      University police found a student in an argument with juveniles on campus and ended up pepper-spraying her multiple times.
 
Jacob Ogles
 
Opinion 
        Lindsey Graham may have lived deep in the closet. He made others suffer for it
      The stories about the late Republican senator's sexuality may multiply after his death. None of them changes who he chose to be, writes John Casey
 
John Casey
 
States 
        Why did Josh Shapiro appoint this anti-trans Republican to Pennsylvania's civil rights commission?
      Seth Grove repeatedly opposed LGBTQ+ protections and tried to reshape the civil rights system he will now govern.
 
Christopher Wiggins

Site Navigation

Was Orlando Gunman Motivated by Homophobia?

The father of Omar Mateen says seeing two men kissing in Miami a few months ago angered his son and could be what motivated him to kill 50 people and wound 53 others.

The Latest

A love letter to Provincetown and Family Week

For one LGBTQ+ family from Indiana, Family Week offered something rare: the joy of being surrounded by families that looked like theirs.

‘Proud transphobe’ Nancy Mace targets RuPaul & Congressional Black Caucus on her way out of Congress

The South Carolina Republican is escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ people and lawmakers of color.

Richard Gere told the truth about USAID. Trump’s bully answered like a schoolyard bigot

White House communications director Steven Cheung reaches for a juvenile, 40-year-old sex fiction to criticize an actor’s defense of USAID, writes John Casey.

Andrew Tate's arrest shows the manosphere scam is unraveling

Opinion: Many men held up as role models to boys are being exposed as dangerous charlatans, writes Josh Ackley.

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told.

22 Terrifying Sexual Fantasies That Must Be Talked About

Ex-Chicago Police Sergeant Guilty in Transgender Woman’s Sexual Assault Case

LGBTQ+ Cold Case Files: What Really Happened to Marsha P. Johnson?

Nolan Wells vanished on a Mississippi island. His case joins a troubling list of suspicious Black deaths

More For You

Man convicted in O’Shae Sibley hate crime killing sentenced to 20 years in prison

Gunman killed after opening fire outside North Carolina gay bar

Philadelphia man accused of hunting and killing 2 gay men remains at large

Andrew Gillum’s troubled fall from Democratic star continues with Alabama drug arrest

FBI says it stopped possible mass shooting after threats to Texas Pride event

Most Popular

Washington coffee shop removes astonishingly transphobic sign with ableist slur after public outcry

The mayor’s office in Spokane had initially defended the hateful sign as protected speech under the First Amendment.

Powerful Democratic think tank's reset on transgender rights alarms advocates

The Center for American Progress says its new framework will help Democrats confront anti-LGBTQ+ attacks without abandoning civil rights. Transgender people aren't so sure.

Donald Trump tried to insult Jon Ossoff with Pee-wee Herman. The joke is on him

The president reminded us who really embodies the bully, writes John Casey.

Right-wingers mock trans student tased by UCF police after demanding not to be misgendered

University police found a student in an argument with juveniles on campus and ended up pepper-spraying her multiple times.

Lindsey Graham may have lived deep in the closet. He made others suffer for it

The stories about the late Republican senator's sexuality may multiply after his death. None of them changes who he chose to be, writes John Casey

Why did Josh Shapiro appoint this anti-trans Republican to Pennsylvania's civil rights commission?

Seth Grove repeatedly opposed LGBTQ+ protections and tried to reshape the civil rights system he will now govern.

Latest Stories

Stay up to date with the latest in LGBTQ+ news with The Advocate’s email newsletter, in your inbox five days a week.

Was Orlando Gunman Motivated by Homophobia?

The father of Omar Mateen says seeing two men kissing in Miami a few months ago angered his son and could be what motivated him to kill 50 people and wound 53 others.

FROM OUR SPONSORS

The Latest

For one LGBTQ+ family from Indiana, Family Week offered something rare: the joy of being surrounded by families that looked like theirs.

The South Carolina Republican is escalating attacks on LGBTQ+ people and lawmakers of color.

White House communications director Steven Cheung reaches for a juvenile, 40-year-old sex fiction to criticize an actor’s defense of USAID, writes John Casey.

Opinion: Many men held up as role models to boys are being exposed as dangerous charlatans, writes Josh Ackley.

LGBTQ+ stories deserve to be told.

More For You

Most Popular

The mayor’s office in Spokane had initially defended the hateful sign as protected speech under the First Amendment.

The Center for American Progress says its new framework will help Democrats confront anti-LGBTQ+ attacks without abandoning civil rights. Transgender people aren't so sure.

The president reminded us who really embodies the bully, writes John Casey.

University police found a student in an argument with juveniles on campus and ended up pepper-spraying her multiple times.

The stories about the late Republican senator's sexuality may multiply after his death. None of them changes who he chose to be, writes John Casey

Seth Grove repeatedly opposed LGBTQ+ protections and tried to reshape the civil rights system he will now govern.