Saturday, March 24, 2012

Another Gay Mormon Suicide


Last Sunday a relatively young Mormon man took his own life. While one can never know what constitutes the last straw that makes one decide that suicide is the perceived best option, there is obvious speculation the the religious tensions of Chris Beers' upbringing and the dictates of his church may have tipped the scales toward suicide as a final solution. Having engaged in two serious suicide attempts myself in the past that landed me in the hospital, besides the constant tension of inner religious conflict, living in the larger and still homophobic society is likewise a major contributing factor. Having to face literally daily legal discrimination in Virginia and many other states is soul killing. None of us should have to make a daily effort to justify our own humanity and right to the same civil rights as other members of society. Here are highlights from The Advocate on this sad loss:

As friends mourn the death of Chris Wayne Beers, a gay man and former Mormon missionary and church employee who took his own life Sunday, some are noting tensions between LGBT people and the church, which opposes gay relationships.

Utah native Beers, 38, had worked in the missionary and travel departments for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a Web posting by Affirmation, a group working for LGBT equality within the LDS church. At the time of his death he was employed by the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.

“While struggles with his faith may not have been the direct reason he took his own life, I’m hard pressed to imagine that there isn’t an indirect cause, at least. If we, as Mormons, did what we were supposed to do for all of our brothers and sisters — love them unconditionally — Chris would never have been stripped of his family of faith. He would not have been forced to choose. He would have had a deeper, richer and more spiritual support network to walk him through what life brought his way. Sadly, like many, he was given the ‘Sophie’s Choice:’ live life according to a heterocentric cultural practice and do so alone, without a partner — or live life without your family of faith and the strength of that spiritual community.”

Fortunately, my family did not desert me. But along the way in coming out, I was forced from a law firm and my career severely damage, in my divorce case, I was largely put on trial for being gay by reactionary judge who thinks being gay is a "choice" and I had to leave the church in which I was raised. All because some cling to a few antiquated Bible passages (while ignoring many, many others) and others make a lucrative career hawking anti-gay bigotry. At times I still experience an overwhelming weariness with having to rally and justify my existence daily in a manner that straights will never know. Rest in peace, Chris Beers.

No comments: