Tupac's Family -- Rapper Was NOT Homophobic ... He Loved Versace

Tupac Shakur's family members believe Suge Knight is dead wrong -- the rapper couldn't have been a homophobe ... because he was GREAT friends with Gianni Versace.

Suge has been on a media blitz recently ... telling multiple radio stations 2pac ended his professional relationship with a famous hip hop star because Suge believed the rapper was a gay man.

But sources close to the Tupac estate tell TMZ ... the Shakur family feels very strongly that Suge's claims are "totally false" ... and point to his friendship with the famous designer Gianni Versace, who was an openly gay man.