cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/65759877
Statement from Tristan Kern de Gonzales
Husband of Jonathan Joss
My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home. That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.
Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.
When we returned to the site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw.
While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.
Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life.
Jonathan is my husband. He gave me more love in our time together than most people ever get. We were newlyweds. We picked Valentines Day. We were in the process of looking for a trailer and planning our future.
He was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other. I was with him when he passed. I told him how much he was loved.
To everyone who supported him, his fans, his friends, know that he valued you deeply. He saw you as family.
My focus now is on protecting Jonathan’s legacy and honoring the life we built together.
If your concern is how someone coped with trauma or how loudly they speak when recounting injustice and being ignored by authorities then you never truly cared about my husband.
Jonathan saved my life. I will carry that forward. I will protect what he built.
Tristan Kern de Gonzales
Can we get an exception to any rules about matching the website headline? This wasn’t a shooting, this was a hate-crime motivated murder.
Yet the cops are claiming there’s no evidence this was motivated by homophobia…
ACAB
Sounds like they were being gangstalked.
This is horrific. They murdered their dog and then murdered Joss. I can’t tell you how embarrassed I am for our country. These people did nothing wrong. I consider these cops as bad as the Uvalde cops. They are cowards and full of hate.
I have found my friends that are LGBTQ+ people are very supportive of each other. I hope they and allies step up for this man.
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