This issue hasn’t yet been addressed. Our Mormon LGBT teens and young adults are killing themselves in alarmingly high numbers. Where is the response? Where is the campaign?
Why is our best resource for understanding and combatting this problem being widely ignored (The Family Acceptance Project Brochure)? We badly need to take into account the large body of scientific research that is available to enlighten us on this issue.
I really hope to see a united front formed against suicide of our young members. I would like to see a campaign which unites us all against this problem. I would like to see the LDS church endorse an effort that involves:
1) Faith friendly institutions like LDS Family Services, Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists (AMCAP), BYU, and North Star
2) Secular institutions like the State of Utah, the public universities (UofU, USU, WSU, UVU etc), the community mental health centers in Utah (and possibly expanding to include Idaho, Arizona and other states with large mormon populations)
3) LGBT/Mormon advocacy groups such as Affirmation, Mormons Building Bridges, Mormons for Equality, LDS Family Fellowship, Affirmative Therapist Guild of Utah, etc
4) LGBT specific organizations such as Utah Pride, Equality Utah, HRC
5) Expert resources such as Family Acceptance Project, Trevor Project
I know there are some people who have already down a lot of the ground-work. I want to see a wider call for action, more support for whatever preliminary actions are underway, and better coordination between these organizations to make something happen.
I know everybody wants this. I know that the faith-friendly groups above are very concerned. I know that the secular ones are too. We need to get together now!
If you don’t know what else to do at this point, just please do the following:
1) Speak out about the problem Don’t let it become secondary. Remember those that have died already (a partial list exists at http://affirmation.org/suicides/ ).
2) Become that person in your ward that is outspoken about the trials of LGBT mormons. Be that person that the troubled teen will know they can approach and trust, because you have been identified as the one who stands up and speaks out for LGBT youth.
3) Use our best current resource available which is the brochure published by Family Acceptance Project called Supporting Families, Healthy Children (LDS version). Download it here (click on Latter-day Saint(Mormon) Version). Give copies to your Bishop, and to your ward members.
4) Donate money to Family Acceptance Project so that they can continue this type of research. Donate at this page and indicate that it is for the Family Acceptance Project here (in the pull down menu under ‘About Your Gift’). Some of this research has already been done at the Family Acceptance Project due to a few generous donors, and great sacrifice on the part of the research team. We Mormons owe them already and we need to come through to help them financially with their efforts to save our children.
5) Get involved in one of the above organizations that best matches your stances, and encourage them to reach out and promote cooperation with the other organizations to promote a broad campaign based on facts and scientific research.
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