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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.
Personal stories,
Rocky, Drew, Val & Ray
Gay & Lesbian Member Suicide List
We Can Change History For Gay LDS
Lifetime
Celibacy or Excommunication
Policy
The Etiology of
Homosexuality from Authoritative Latter-day Saint Perspectives,
1879-2006
A Revised
History of Homosexuality & Mormonism, 1840-1980
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
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Foundation for
Reconciliation
Blood, Suicide and Tears
"The other girls in the
church didn’t accept me. I was shy and knew I was different from
them. When I graduated high school and attended the LDS Business
College, it became even more apparent to me how much of an outcast I
really was. My girl friends would talk about their dates and
boyfriends and husbands and the thought of even kissing a guy made
me sick to my stomach.
I tried to kill myself a
few times and my heart stopped for one minute. Also, I cut on
myself, each blade helped me feel more in control. As much as I
tried to change my sexual orientation with my rigorous religious
studies, I never succeeded. I read the Book of Mormon at least
fifty times, never went out on Sundays except to three hours of
church and nightly firesides.
After fifty
Electroconvulsive shock treatments for depression, my mood lifted,
but it never changed who I was born to be.
Individual therapy from
an objective source helped me the most to feel better about myself
and accept myself for the way I am, even if sisters, friends and the
LDS community didn’t. I learned that higher powers above wanted me
to be the way I am and didn’t care whom I loved as long as I loved
myself and my fellow men.
I removed my name this
past year, after ten years of unsuccessfully trying to do so. I
don’t want to be part of a church that treats people different based
on their race, sexual orientation or gender. It’s inhuman and
anything but Chris-like. The blood, suicide and tears of LGBT
individuals will be the responsibility of the First Presidency and
other church members in the afterlife.
I was a member of the
Valley Park Sixth Ward. I celebrated the day I received my letter
and have been happier and freer since. "
- H. Rachelle Graham
hrachellegraham@comcast.net
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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
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