BY TROY MASTERS | After a bombing that injured 29 people in the largely LGBT New York neighborhood Chelsea, a Tumblr page entitled “I’m the NY Bomber” and “Manufacturing Test Explosives” has emerged. The post claims the bombing was a social justice stand for “homosexuals like myself” and against anti-LGBTQ oppression and that there are more to come.
Use of the phrase “homosexuals like myself,” is awkward language that would not likely be used by an LGBT person.
Still, as nearby Chelsea is a mostly gay neighborhood, the post is chilling and calls to mind events surrounding the terrorist attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando that killed 49 people. On the same day as the Orlando massacre, a planned attack on LA Pride was thwarted when Santa Monica police arrested a gay man who had driven to Los Angeles from Indiana with explosives.
The New York City Police Department says it is “vetting” the Tumblr account.
“This is/will be my manifesto,” the page said.
The Tumbr page was online at http://nybomber.tumblr.com/ but was taken offline Sunday afternoon.
No comments from officials have yet been made about the page, which was first reported by The New York Daily News.
The page depicted a rainbow flag accompanied by the words “What’s wrong with homosexuality?”
There were only two posts on the page. The page “Manufacturing Test Explosives,” claims “I did it because I cannot stand society. […] I cannot live in a world where homosexuals like myself as well as the rest of the LGBTQ+ community are looked down upon by society.
“This is not the end,” the post continues. “This is just the beginning. I will be remembered. I will make a difference. I will eliminate my targets before it is too late.” Hashtags followed: “#newyork #bombing #lgbt #lgbtpride #equality #thebeginning.”
The second page, “Taking a Human Life,” begins with the entry “I don’t know exactly how I feel about taking human lives. However, what I do know is that If I don’t do what needs to be done nobody will pay attention. LGBTQ+ people are much more likely to commit suicide than straight cisgendered people,”
“It seems that nobody cares, however what if people from the LGBTQ+ community started lashing out in response to the violence and oppression we face with violence and possibly oppression? I’m sure that would give people a reason to not stand by while so many people are being oppressed.”
“I suppose I’m just going to have to move forward knowing that what I am doing had a purpose and will in fact make a difference. I’ll keep you all posted.”
“I am not going to stand by while there is inequality in my country such as the racism being seen in white police officers all over the country.”
“I am not going to live in a country where it is OK to have a misogynist, xenophobic, racist Islamophobic, republican candidate running for President of The United States!”
An unidentified man called 911 claiming to be standing at 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue in the aftermath of the blast. “I’m looking at the explosion down the block. There will be more,” he reportedly said.
The Associated Press reported the following: “A law enforcement official says federal investigators have discounted a claim of responsibility for the New York City bombing on the social blogging service Tumblr. The official says investigators looked into it and don’t consider it relevant to the case. The official was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Earlier in the day, another official said that the FBI was aware of the posting and evaluating its authenticity. The Saturday night blast in Manhattan injured 29 people. Authorities have not yet determined who is behind the blast or a motive. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it didn’t appear to be linked to international terrorism.”
