The numbers were not collected via a formal survey or study. Mama Dragons member Wendy Williams Montgomery began tallying the numbers after messages and calls from other Mormon parents who'd lost children to suicide.
The numbers got a lot of attention after they were posted online by Lisa Torcasso Downing. She said 28 of those suicides happened in Utah. She is Mormon and has a gay son. Her son came out to her as gay at age He told his mom he felt his future was a black hole because being gay did not fit in with the expectations set by the LDS church. Rowe said she felt the church was wrong. She said it's the only way to stop suicides and hurt for the families who are directly affected.
She is Mormon and married to a woman. She contemplated suicide as a young woman when she couldn't live within the "template" given to her by the church. She couldn't find love and companionship in a relationship with a man. She said the message from the LDS pulpit is that being gay threatens families. She said that was a hurtful message she couldn't easily shake.
Marquez said through prayer and contemplation, she had an experience with God that allowed her to feel like an ethical and moral person who could find happiness with a woman -- someone she really loved.
She said LGBT Mormon youth are clear about the church's policies and stances but many don't know where they stand with in their own families. She calls that "a great unknown. She said that people feel they need to choose between being a good member of the church or being a friend to the LGBT community is a false notion. Marquez said any LGBT person who is struggling to cope or is dealing with thoughts of suicide, or family members of and LGBT person, can reach out to the following:.
