Harry Fisher was a vout Mormon. He was also gay. This is the story how he tried to rencile those inti, and why his parents disagree about his ath.
Contents:
- DEVOTN AND SPAIR: THE LONELY STGGLE OF A GAY MORMON
- UNRAVELG THE TTH BEHD GAY MORMON YOUTH AND SUICI
- GAY MORMON STUNTS DISCS STGGL WH SUICI 'IT GETS BETTER' VIO
- MATTHEW GONG, GAY MORMON, REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY OM NER WAR TO NER PEACE
- THE TRAGIC RULTS OF THE MORMON CHURCH’S NEW POLICY AGAST GAY MEMBERS
DEVOTN AND SPAIR: THE LONELY STGGLE OF A GAY MORMON
* gay mormon suicide *
And his last month of life, he publicly outed himself as gay on Facebook.
The Fishers, who are divorced, agree that beg gay was a source of lonels for their son.
UNRAVELG THE TTH BEHD GAY MORMON YOUTH AND SUICI
An LGBT-supportive group says 32 young people have taken their liv sce the Church of Latter-Day Sats stuted a wildly antigay policy November. * gay mormon suicide *
Mormon lears have been laborg to create a welg atmosphere for all members – gay or not – even as they hold fast to doctr that regard homosexual acts as sful. He was also gay.
Fisher publicly intified himself as gay only after he left his job wh Anctry, a webse for genealogil rearch staffed by many fellow Mormons and headquartered Lehi, Utah. In a January Facebook post, he disclosed how beg both a member of the LDS Church and gay had been particularly difficult. “Many of my iends and fay already know this, but for those who don’t, let me let you know I’m gay.
GAY MORMON STUNTS DISCS STGGL WH SUICI 'IT GETS BETTER' VIO
Stunts at Mormon llege Brigham Young Universy have released a vio about their experienc as homosexuals a relig muny that prohibs gay sex and marriage. * gay mormon suicide *
Some of my clost iends at Anctry were pretty openly anti-gay, so while I don’t know if any of my boss were, and don’t thk they were, seemed safer not to risk fdg out. Fisher’s post went on to share that “beg gay Utah while beg a Latter-Day Sat n be hard. He then thanked those who had said “posive thgs about gay people, even if you didn’t know you were talkg about me.
Bednar, one of the church’s top lears and nsired a “prophet, seer, and revelator, ” ma media wav when he said, “There are no homosexual members of the church. Bednar was rpondg to a qutn posed by a member Chile, who asked, “How n homosexual members of the church live and rema steadfast the gospel?
It also ultimately poted to another qutn: Is there room for gays the Mormon church? Before 1950, the church referred to homosexualy as “the s that dare not speak s name, ” ocsnally g the Biblil term “sodomy. In the 1960s, “homosexualy” entered the church’s lexin after learship beme ncerned that the “practice” had begun to “filtrate the church.
MATTHEW GONG, GAY MORMON, REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY OM NER WAR TO NER PEACE
” The church began to e the term “same-sex attractn” the mid-1990s, enuragg gay members to avoid “over intifyg wh [their] temporary mortal ndn.
Today, the church ntu to e the term “same-sex attracted” when referrg to gay members. Targeted for a nonmember dience, the webse is the first stance which the church “gay” an official publitn.
Still, senr church officials have admonished members to reach out to gay Mormons wh love. The church’s sire to reach out to gay members is upled wh a doctral imperative to take a protective stance advotg for tradnal marriage. Most publicly, the church anized signifint support for California’s Proposn 8 2008, which banned gay marriage statewi.
THE TRAGIC RULTS OF THE MORMON CHURCH’S NEW POLICY AGAST GAY MEMBERS
Meanwhile, LGBT advot worry about the harm exclnary msag uld have on gay and lbian Mormons. Mayne was one of the first openly gay Mormon lears.
Many LDS members, like Harry Fisher’s mother, Claire, agree wh the church’s posn that homosexualy is a challenge to be overe by a lifetime of celibacy.
In January, unsubstantiated claims of an crease suici among gay Mormon youth prompted a public statement on gay suici om the church-owned paper, Deret News. And now there are heightened nsequenc for gay members of the church: Choosg to live wh a partner or marry a member of the same sex are grounds for exmunitn.