The narrative falls apart: Evidence that Omar Mateen was in the closet undermines GOP framing of the Orlando shooting; Salon, 6/14/16

Amanda Marcotte, Salon; The narrative falls apart: Evidence that Omar Mateen was in the closet undermines GOP framing of the Orlando shooting:

"With the caveats that it’s important to wait for more information, etc., it’s starting to look like this guy had serious personal issues and only latched onto the idea of ISIS because it’s in the news a lot and adds drama and impact to his actions.

Which isn’t to say that religion doesn’t play a role in all this. If Mateen was closeted and acting out in large part because of self-loathing and repression, then it’s more than safe to note that his religious beliefs were contributing to that. (Mateen’s father continues to issue religiously motivated anti-gay sentiments in public.) Many variations of Islam teach anti-gay views, just like many variations of Christianity; it’s foolish to deny otherwise.

But that, of course, is just the point. If the issue here is religiously motivated homophobia, then that’s a problem that is far from unique to Islam. It suggests the problem is not whether you read the Koran or the Bible, but whether or not you use religion as an excuse to wallow in bigotry. Which, in turn, implicates the Republican party that has spent decades stoking and exploiting Christian homophobia. You can pretend that Islam is a unique problem if the issue is violence done in the name of ISIS and their apocalyptic fantasies. Islam simply isn’t the only religion that teaches anti-gay views. There’s not a lot of wiggle room here."