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Now We've Got Pretty Solid Proof That Aaron Hernandez was Gay

Aaron-Hernandez

Boston GlobeAaron Hernandez pleaded with prison officials to share a cell with men he said were like his “brother” and his “heart,” letters he wrote while behind bars show.

In one letter, dated June 12, 2015, Hernandez wrote to a deputy that he was hoping to be moved to another part of the prison “where I belong.” He wrote that he was also requesting to “celly up” with another inmate, whose name is redacted. …

In one undated letter, addressed to IPS, the Department of Correction’s Inner Perimeter Security unit, Hernandez seeks to dispel what he calls “false gossip,” though the nature of the gossip is redacted. …

Both before and after his suicide, rumors and reports emerged about Hernandez’s sexuality. Media reports alleged that an inmate named Kyle Kennedy was involved in a sexual relationship with Hernandez. …

Hernandez wrote that he wanted to move to another part of the prison where “there are two people I know from the streets who I’m close with.” In that letter, which was written to an assignment officer, he requested a single cell, but provides the names of two possible cellmates: one, “who is my ‘heart,’” and another, who is “kind of like a brother.”

Like I said on the first day this issue of Aaron Hernandez’ gayness or relative heteroness came up, I wouldn’t care one way or the other if it weren’t relevant to the deaths of two people: Odin Lloyd and Aaron Hernandez. I’d prefer to just look at it the way Red looked at the Sisters when they took a liking to Andy Dufresne. They’re not homosexual; they’d have to be human first. And leave it at that.

But in this case it matters. Even though the media outside of Michele McPhee and a couple of others has pretty much avoided the topic like it’s unexploded ordinance. There have been reports that Hernandez murdered Lloyd for busting his balls about being bi and possibly outing him. And it might have been the motive for killing himself. So it’s germane to the discussion.

And I have to think that this is the smoking gun that confirms the rumors, right? I write a lot. I text to a lot of guy friends and family members. I am not above the occasional “love you guys” when the moment calls for it. But the next time I identify someone not named Mrs. Thornton my “heart” will be the first. (The lone exception being TB12. But I’m an out of the closet Bradysexual. Loud and proud.) I mean, is there any other possible context for begging prison officials to let you bunk with your “heart” other than romantic involvement? Especially when in the next breath you’re talking about another guy as “a brother”? That’s as clear a case of saying you love one guy but in love with the other. The first is a boyfriend, the second is Captain Friendzone.

So I think it’s all the confirmation we need. Short of a video of Hernandez and his redacted gentleman caller physically having sex, legally getting married or appearing as the sassy, hilariously gossipy male friend on a “Real Housewives” series, this is the most solid proof you could reasonably expect. It’s been underreported for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is no one wants to imply that because AHern was a bi suicidal murderer that all gay guys are self-loathing homicidal maniacs. Fine. But when we’ve got a victim who was left to die alone bleeding out in a vacant lot somewhere, the world is entitled to know the whole story. And hiding the truth – if that’s what this is – benefits no one.

@jerrythornton1