Grammy award winning singer Frank Ocean has posted a heartfelt, emotional response to the recent Orlando shooting, in which the singer denounces and speaks about his own experiences with discrimination.
"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," Ocean says about his first experience with trans and homophobia. "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."
Ocean's full statement can be viewed here.
Frank Ocean is one of the highest profile LGBT artists in hip hop/R&B. He came out in 2012, an announcement that was received positively by many in the industry, including Beyonce and Jay Z, who publicly voiced their support for Ocean. In 2013 he won a Grammy for his work on "No Church In The Wild," which also featured Kanye West and Jay Z. In addition to his solo work, Ocean is also part of the hip hop collective Odd Future.
By Michael Lacerna for RAPstation.com
