| |
Petition Home Page
Below are links to church history and
personal stories of those who have experienced the pain that
comes from endeavoring to change their sexual orientation in
order to comply with church teachings and policy.
Gay & Lesbian Member Suicide List
We Can Change History For Gay LDS
Lifetime
Celibacy or Excommunication
Policy
Chronology Of Mormon / LDS Involvement In Same-Sex Marriage Politics
Mormons for Marriage
supports marriage equality for all, and stands in respectful
opposition to California Proposition 8.
Mormon Politics & Member Opinion
ABC News- Gay Mormons Face Excommunication
|
|
|
Foundation for
Reconciliation
The Ultimate
Price
Would you please
add my son’s partner, Michael James Dunkley, to your petition list?
He was my gay son’s partner. He took his own life on June 26, 2009
in his family home in Ogden. He was 19 years old. James (Michael)
was the kind of guy who loved to make you smile, never spoke badly
of anyone and always put others before himself. He spoke often of
his family problems and church counseling (2 years at Evergreen),
but it wasn’t until after he left this world that all the pain he
was forced to keep inside came to life. I should have known that
his fragile heart was dying inside--he was at my home from sun up to
sundown every day. My son, Marc, loved him with all he had, and
they had such big plans.
Marc
came out to me was he was 17. It was a shock to our family but the
love in our home never changed. Marc was very active in the church,
held the priesthood, went home teaching, gained his eagle scout and
helped others in the ward. In Dec 2007 Marc went to our bishop and
let the truth be known. Bishop Shane Norfield was amazing as he
listened, found Marc a church counselor who didn’t “pray away the
gay” but instead helped him deal with it and worked on his
self-esteem. The Bishop allowed Marc to pass the sacrament each
week and kept close contact with us. Sadly, when we changed
bishops, the new one was very adamant about following the church’s
stand on being gay LDS. Marc was asked to stop all active rolls,
including taking the
sacrament. He felt like an outcast and stopped going. I’m so glad
he was strong enough at that time to handle it. My son was with
James for 7 months and after James’ death, went into a deep
depression.
All of us who loved James are still in
shock. We had no notice, no goodbye. He was to meet up with my son
on Friday afternoon but he never showed. His phone was turned off.
The pain is unbearable for us. As those of us who loved him, we
feel he paid the ultimate price, gave his breath so that the shame
and guilt of being gay would be ended by his death.
Please continue the
fight for Michael James Dunkley and honor him, not in death, but in
hopes for change for everyone."
—Tamara
Lara, October, 2009
|
|
|
Please take time to read this petition, as well as read the stories and
links provided, and pass this information on to your friends and
link to us if you have a website or blog.
By
doing so, you will be sending a message to the leaders of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that it is time for
reconciliation between the Church and its gay and lesbian members.
More importantly, you will be showing support for those who have
been hurt by Church policies and practices because of their sexual
orientation.
"Gay, lesbian and bisexual teens and
young adults have one of the highest rates of suicide attempts — and
some other health and mental health problems, including substance
abuse. A new study suggests that parental acceptance, and even
neutrality, with regard to a child's sexual orientation could have a
big impact in reducing this rate."-NPR, All
Things Considered, December 29, 2008
"I
implore the students at BYU to re-assess their homophobic feelings,"
wrote Stuart Matis in The Daily Universe
shortly before
committing suicide. "Seek to understand first before you make
comments. We have the same needs as you. We desire to love and be
loved. We desire to live our lives with happiness. We are not a
threat to you or your families."
"Utah’s overall suicide rate is the 10th highest in the nation.
Unfortunately, it is the leading cause of death for Utah males ages
15 to 19, who die at a rate nearly double the national average. It
is the leading cause of death for adolescent males in Utah."-KUED.org
Voices of Hope Discussion Guide
"Thank
you,
Carol Lynn Pearson,
for reminding us that the task of any religion is to teach us whom
we're required to love, not whom we're entitled to hate." - Rabbi
Harold Kushner
About
Us
|
|
