Prayers for Bobby Page #5

Hey!

I can't.

Ok.

I think I'm gonna sleep in the living room.

Reverend?

Mary Griffith.

Nice to have you with us, Mary.

The bible...

it says that homosexuality is a sin punishable by death. Do you believe that?

There are other interpretations of the bible, Mrs Griffith.

My son...

was gay...

and he killed himself.

Is there an other interpretation of that?

I'm sorry.

What was his name?

Bobby.

Bobby Griffith.

I saw him here a couple of times.

My Bobby?

He always sat way in the back.

He stopped coming.

I am so sorry.

You must be...

I need answers.

I need to know where he is.

Is homosexuality an unforgivable sin?

Leviticus, 18:
22 says:

If a man lies with another man, it is an abomination.

An abomination, in that time, didn't mean sin. It meant unclean.

Leviticus also goes on to

say eating shellfish is an abomination.

Or mixing fabrics...

Leviticus 20:
13

If a man lies with another man, they both should be put to death.

And then he says the same thing about an adultere, or a child that disobeys their parents.

And we certainly don't interpret that scripture litteraly.

In Deuteronomy 22,

If a woman is not a virgin on her wedding day,

she should be taken to her father's house and stoned to death.

So what do you tell people who come here?

Gay people...

That homosexuality is ok?

That it is permissible in god's eyes?

I tell them what I believe to be the truth:

that God loves them as they are.

God's vengeance is great.

So is his compassion.

You shouldn't teach them

that homoseuxality is ok.

That's not what the bible says.

It just confuses them more.

Mrs Griffith,

if you'd like to come back during the week and talk,

my door is open,

but not to be blamed.

ok?

I think that we got

a pretty good one,

nice and full.

A couple of balls like your dear old dad.

Or grandma...

Yeah...

Mum, can we hang this one on the tree?

I remember when he made this.

Second grade.

Mrs Towns' class, I think.

He was so proud of himself.

Where do you want to put it?

Up high.

So he can look out.

Hey, they work.

I'm gonna go check on my cookies.

I found the passage you talked about.

About stoning to death

Deuteronomy, 22.

But what about Sodom and Gommorah?

God punishes the sin of homosexuality. How do you explain that?

It's nice to see you too, Mary.

What's this for?

It's a roomish sale.

All gay people have roomish too.

So...

What about Sodom and Gommorah?

Many scholars think this sin was greed and not homosexuality.

And it wasn't labeled homosexuality until years after it was written.

Do you have answers for all these things just to justify being that way?

You have answers to justify that it's wrong.

I guess we're in an impass here.

So you think it's ok to interpret the bible any way you want?

No, of course not. But the bible was written and interpreted my mortal men.

And many of those interpretations were reflections of the time and what they lived.

So you feel completely free to question it?

Because...

I think it's blasphemous.

I don't think God minds questions.

He might not be thrilled with all our answers.

I think blind faith is just as dangerous as none at all.

I've never questioned my faith. I...

I've never had reasons to.

Sometimes to question it...

helps you find a deeper faith.

Bobby stopped coming here.

I think the reason was...

he couldn't never allow himself to feel worthy of God's love.

And we didn't help.

Mary...

Have you ever heard about P-FLAG?

It's a national organisation.

It's Parents and friend of lesbians and gays.

No, that's not for me.

They can help.

You'd be able to see you're not so alone in this.

Bye reverend.

No.

There's a woman in Concord, Betty Lambert.

You'll love her.

She has a gay son in his 30s.

I just had a few questions.

I don't need anything else.

Just in case.

It's true. There's a passage that says if children are disobedient they should be put to death.

And I mean noone interprets that litteraly.

What I'm saying is...

if the church no longer interprets that litteraly,

maybe homosexuality is also on that list.

Well, maybe.

Well, don't you think that's important?

Mary, I wasn't that keen with the first interpretation of the bible.

Well, it could mean that Bobby's in heaven.

Yeah, well, he's not here.

Right?

Why isn't that enough for you?

Is it enough for you?!

Does it make it any better?

Everything you're doing?

What do you want me to do?

Just forget about him? I can't do that. Maybe you can.

I don't wont to forget about him, Mary.

I want to remember him. Then I want to move on.

But I can't!

Nobody can...

Just walk away. Like you always do.

You never deal with anything.

Oh, I see...

Maybe if I did, Bobby would still be alive today?

Is that what you're saying? Is that what you think?

You can answer me!

Listen Mary, we both made mistakes. We all made mistakes. But it's done, he's gone.

We're not gonna bring him back.

I know that!!!

Don't you know I know that?!

Mary?

I'm Betty.

Hello.

Betty Lambert.

I'm so glad you called.

Please, come in.

Reverend Whitsell told me what happened to Bobby.

I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose a child like that...

How long has it been?

Six months...

Six months and a few days.

Our son was 14 when he came out to us.

Isn't that a little young?

I knew before then.

We, mothers, we always know. Don't we?

And you were ok with it?

Oh god, no.

I don't think any parent hears the news and thinks Oh Goodie!

Goodie wasn't the first word that came to my mind.

Mary...

Why don't you come to a P-FLAG meeting with me?

No, I'm...

I'm not good at talking in groups.

So don't talk.

Just come and listen.

I think you'll be shocked

at how many people think they were the All-American-Family.

I'll think about it.

Eric was taunted in shcool all the time.

Mary, you came.

I can't stay long.

That's great. Come on in.

I was so furious, I went to the principal.

But he didn't do a thing to the boys who did it.

I was shocked by that.

I called them fruits, and ferries.

I didn't know.

It took me a long time to accept my Sam.

I think I alway knew.

I mean...

He asked for a pink Lacoste shirt for his birthday.

He was always different.

So he tells me he's gay...

What do I do?

I take him hunting.

There he is in his pink Lacoste shirt, he saw a deer

and yaled Run, Bambi, run

I always knew I could love my son

I never thought I could accept him. For who he is.

Well, when Gil told me she was gay. I insisted she see a psychiastrist.

But when that man suggested shock therapy,

I looked at my baby and, the hurt in her eyes.

I thought This is crazy!

Ah, hello reverend!

Please, come sit down.

Hi guys!

Hi reverend!

Glad to see you're all here tonight.

As you may know, reverend Whitsell is a pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church,

and he's proposing a gay freedom day to the Walnut Creek city council.

The city council vote happens in about a month.

and I would love all your support.

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