Into the West

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic death of Stuart Matis. For those of you who don't know of Stuart, he was a young Mormon who took his own life on the steps of his local church. This tragedy occurred during the Proposition 22 campaign in California, a campaign eerily similar to the more recent Proposition 8.

Where would Stuart be if he was still with us today? I would like to think that he could have found that special someone to share his life with. Maybe he could have used his talents and abilities to foster new understanding between religious and homosexual communities. Perhaps Stuart could have been a civil rights leader and helped our nation move towards greater equality and justice for all of its citizens. Sadly, Stuart's time to work on these or other goals was cut short.

The suicide of any individual is a horrible event, and Stuart was certainly not alone in his struggle to deal with the conflict between his religion and his homosexuality.

If you are, or have ever considered suicide please know that so many people love you! We are here to talk to you, and help you whenever you need it. My contact info is in my profile, and there are many man other bloggers, friends, and family out there who would be more than willing to help you. The world needs you, your family needs you... each one of us is better for having you here. Hang in there, I promise it gets better.

For more thoughts on suicide, and how we can deal with/prevent this tragedy:

GMB's The S Word series: Parts 1, 2, & 3.
The Trevor Project

Read what other people are saying about the anniversary of Stuart's death:

Dear Stuart
Remembering Stuart
When Heavy Wings Grow Lighter
The Matis Statement
No Such Thing as a Coincidence?