Mary Griffith (October 13, 1934 – February 7, 2020) was an American

LGBT rights activist A list of notable LGBT rights activists who have worked to advance LGBT rights by political change, legal action or publication. Ordered by country, alphabetically. Argentina * Claudia Castrosín Verdú, she and her partner were the first lesb ...

whose son, Bobby, died by

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

due to her religious intolerance. Following his suicide, Griffith became a longstanding LGBT rights activist.

Bobby Griffith

Robert 'Bobby' Warren Griffith (1963–1983) was Mary Griffith's son. Bobby died when he threw himself off a bridge in Portland, Oregon, aged 20. Bobby realised he was gay in high school, and felt substantial shame over this. Writing in his diary, Bobby said: "I can't ever let anyone find out that I’m not straight. It would be so humiliating. My friends would hate me. They might even want to beat me up. And my family? I've overheard them. They've said they hate gays, and even God hates gays, too. Gays are bad, and God sends bad boys to hell. It really scares me when they are talking about me." After his

coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

, Mary sent him to counselling at the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, and would put bible verses around the house in an attempt to stop sinning. Bobby attempted suicide by overdosing on aspirin, and dropped out of

Las Lomas High School Las Lomas High School (LLHS) is a public high school in Walnut Creek, California, United States. It was founded in 1951 by the Acalanes Union High School District, and opened its doors in the fall of 1952 to its first graduating class. Las Loma ...

two months before his graduation. In 1983 Bobby moved to Portland with his boyfriend. Following a trip back to Walnut Creek, which Mary described Bobby as having "given up," he returned to Portland and threw himself off an over-pass, dying when his body made contact with the highway and an 18-wheel truck. A scholarship was set up in Bobby's name in 1990, administered by GLSEN, and closed in 2020.

Activism

Following Bobby's suicide, Griffith reconsidered her opposition to homosexuality, and no longer believed that gay people would go to Hell. Griffith became involved with PFLAG, eventually becoming the president of a San Francisco chapter. Griffith also advocated for Gay Freedom Week, and for an increase in support for gay students in public schools. On December 6, 1995, Griffith testified before the United States Congress, where she asked the federal government to fund LGBT-education in schools. In 2019, Griffith wrote an article for ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States *''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...

'' criticising the use of conversion therapy and asking religious conservatives to reconsider their position on homosexuality.

''Prayers for Bobby''

Griffith's story was adapted into a book written by

Leroy F. Aarons Leroy "Roy" F. Aarons (December 8, 1933 – November 28, 2004) was an American journalist, editor, author, playwright, founder of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), and founding member of the Robert C. Maynard Institut ...

and published by HarperCollins in 1995, titled '' Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son''. In 2009, a film, titled ''

Prayers for Bobby ''Prayers for Bobby'' is a televised drama film that premiered on the Lifetime network on January 24, 2009. The film is based on the book of the same name by Leroy F. Aarons, which is itself based on the true story of the life and legacy of B ...

'', was produced. Griffith was played by Sigourney Weaver. In response to the film, Griffith noted that "the movie comes very close to what happened."

Personal life

Griffith was born to a highly devout

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

family, and after a minor incident with the police when she was a teenager, she became a fundamentalist. Later she largely abandoned her fundamentalist perspective. Describing her religious beliefs in 2009, she said that "It's humiliating just to go through the Bible and see the fairy tales I believed, like that business about mixing fabrics." Griffith died in 2020, aged 85.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffith, Mary 1934 births 2020 deaths American LGBT rights activists