Thank You Roseanne; Marie, Wake Up!

Roseanne Barr posted the following entry at her blog here about her thoughts on the recent suicide of Marie Osmond's son, Michael Blosil.  I don't know if Marie's son was gay or not, and no one may ever know what was truly in his heart, but there's a lot of truth to what Roseanne writes. Roseanne was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and attended the Mormon church from age 3 to 16.

Marie's son was a student at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and a Mormon.

Roseanne writes:

"marie osmonds poor gay son killed himself

because he had been told how wrong and how sick he was every day of his life by his church and the people in it. Calling that "depression" is a lie!

Yet the Osmonds still talk lovingly about their church, saying nothing about its extremely anti-gay Crusade. Marie also has a gay daughter! Hey, I want her and all the gay kids in the world to know that they are just fine being gay and that they deserve love and respect instead of insults and rebuke! I have gay people in my family and my circle of friends and I am kicking bigot ass and taking names!

That is how its done in my religion---(I have my own religion that I made up for myself and it is a great religion that actually works and respects facts and not fantasy!)

Gerald Lund one of the ex church apostles has three gay kids himself. 

Yet, even though the people they say they love the most in all of their public displays and speeches (THEIR KIDS AND FAMILY!!) are gay,-- their own children,for crying out loud- these people cannot find the christian decency and compassion within themselves to stop their hypocritical gay bashing!!

How sickening. I know so many mormon kids who were gay and committed suicide, and I just cannot and will not stay quiet in order to not offend bigots anymore. It is all so terribly depressing. 

Marie please don't talk about how your faith in your church has helped you get through this one! Please get some integrity and tell that church of yours that you will leave it and stop giving it ten percent of your money if they don't stop trying to destroy your kids' and all gay people's civil rights and dreams and hopes!!

G-d is trying to use you for something good and this is your opportunity! Your church is wrong and on the wrong wrong wrong side of things! Get as vocal about that as you are about your diet. G-d bless you too, Marie. 

Take a hard look at the facts now as you use this very sad time for introspection, healing growth and prayer, and become a strong symbol for loving mothers who make no apologies for hatred against their own kids!"


 Thank you Roseanne. 


In  Marie Osmond's defense, I have read that she is supportive of her lesbian daughter and has made statements in defense of gay rights.  But as a second son who is gay, I learned the hard way that when an older kid in a family comes out, the parents may be openly supportive to that child, but still, the younger kids in the family often see a more complete picture of the full spectrum of their parents' reactions "behind the scenes," and this can prevent the younger kids from being honest about themselves for a very long time. The younger kids see the tears and anguish and the secrecy and shame that the parents, to their credit, may try to hide from the older gay kid. This was my experience. My parents did their best to accept their older gay son, but I knew they really wanted me to be the straight son, so I tried to be that straight son, and to change, until I felt like I was walking around separated from the world by a thick sheet of glass.  In fleeting moments, I considered suicide and running away, but luckily I slowly found the courage to be honest, first to myself, and gradually to others.  I write "luckily" but maybe it was the "grace of god" as in "there but for the grace of god go I."


So Marie Osmond may be supportive of gay rights, but she is still a Mormon. Marie, at a certain point you have to draw the line and stop supporting bigoted organizations.  I have two gay friends who continue to attend and support the Catholic Church with their time, skills, and money.  I cannot understand this, when there are other churches that welcome open and honest gays. Wake up!


Here is a resource for gay mormons called Affirmation, providing a direct contact for support if you are in crisis, a suicide memorial and other suicide prevention links .