Anti-Bullying and Suicide Prevention Outreach Event at Mesa Mormon Temple

Here's some important news out of Mesa, Arizona, home to the second-largest Mormon population in the United States. A suicide-prevention demonstration for gay Mormons has been planned for Friday, Nov. 26. Complete details below.

Where: Pioneer Park, 526 E. Main St. in Mesa (Pioneer Park is one block east of Mesa Drive on Main Street)

When: Friday, Nov. 26th, from 6 p.m. till 10 p.m.

Who: The Phoenix GLBT Coalition

Why: An anti-bullying and suicide prevention demonstration aimed at stopping gay Mormon suicides in Arizona, will take place Friday, November 26th, coinciding with the Christmas lighting ceremony at the Mormon Temple located across the street from Pioneer Park. The purpose of the demonstration is to make gay Mormons aware of The Trevor Project Suicide Prevention National Hotline and the local Gay and Lesbian organization for gay Mormons, Phoenix Affirmation. The demonstration will also continue the national message, “It Gets Better” and that there is help available.

The demonstration is part of an all out effort to counteract a recent talk given by Elder Boyd K. Packer, President of the faith’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and next in line to be President and Prophet for the worldwide church. Packer has been called upon to recant his words in a talk given to the 13,000,000 members of the church via satellite from Salt Lake City. Using inaccurate and dangerous statements he called same-sex attraction ‘impure and unnatural,’ claimed that it could be corrected, and characterized same-sex marriage as immoral. Organizers of this event believe these words have put the estimated 40,000-60,000 gay Mormons in Arizona in grave danger and may contribute to suicides. Utah, which is the stronghold of the Mormon faith, has a suicide rate three times the national average at 34/100,000. (The national average is 11/100,000.) Arizona’s suicide rate is 16/100,000.

To learn more, visit the Phoenix GLBT Coalition on Facebook HERE.