April, 2001

Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons announces a new campaign called, "No More Deaths! No More Silence!" The campaign will raise public awareness of the health crisis that suicide represents among gays and lesbians and will offer a positive message of hope. It is designed to coincide with National Suicide Prevention Week, which is May 6 - 12 this year.

The national leadership of Affirmation will launch this campaign on Saturday, May 5th with a candlelight vigil memorial service in Palo Alto, California. Then, on the evening of Tuesday, May 8, 2001, local chapters of Affirmation and their supporters will hold candlelight vigils in cities across America. The vigils will highlight the social problems and religious traditions that contribute to suicide among gays and lesbians. The vigils will also provide a public opportunity for local communities to remember and honor the lives of the gay and lesbian friends and family members who have lost their lives to suicide.

The Executive Director of Affirmation, Scott MacKay, explains the reason behind this campaign and the vigils: "As current and past members of the Mormon church, Affirmation members are acutely aware of the struggles gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members face in Mormon families and communities. The Mormon leadership has publicly committed itself to a highly visible and well-funded campaign against gay civil and religious equality. The purpose of our vigils is not to attack the Mormon community but rather to offer a message of hope and comfort in response to the damaging power of antigay religious teachings and the immense personal toll that such teachings take on our friends and families."

The candlelight vigil will be specially dedicated to the memory of Stuart Matis, Brian "DJ" Thompson and Clay Whitmer, three young gay Mormon men who lost their lives through suicide last year. Their deaths were tragic acts of despair following in the wake of the Mormon leadership's prominent role in opposing equal rights for gays in California. Further details on the stories of how each arrived at this tragic decision can be found at http://www.mormonstoday.com/000514/N1Matis01.shtml and http://www.affirmation.org/learning/stuart_and_david_remembered.shmtl.

Locations for vigils include Phoenix, Portland, Reno, Salt Lake City and Seattle. To find the latest information about vigils in your community, please visit http://www.affirmation.org/suicide_info/vigils.shmtl. Parents are particularly encouraged to visit the Family Fellowship website at http://www.ldsfamilyfellowship.org . Family Fellowship is a support organization for Mormon parents of gay and lesbian children.