This morning, Frank Ocean posted a powerful note on his Tumblr account sharing his thoughts in the aftermath of June 12’s shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.
“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.
“Many hate us and wish we didn’t exist. 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?”
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The poetic note covers a variety of topics, mentioning ISIS, religion, God, homophobia, depression, trans bathroom rights, and gay marriage. Specifically, Ocean describes a transphobic interaction he remembers his father had with a waitress when he was six.
“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.”
You can read the full letter on Frank Ocean’s Tumblr.
