Prayers For Bobby

I really wish this movie would come out on DVD, I would buy it and watch it probably every day! I love this movie...it came on last night!

As a parent of a gay man, who is now 30 years old and beginning second year law school, Prayers for Bobby, was a somewhat difficult movie for me to watch. Although I was definitely drawn to it, it conjured up the many conflicts that I have tried to deal with in the past, in numerous conversations with my son, when he was in high school.

Although I have attended a Baptist church for the past 21 years, I was especially interested in the scriptural references made in the film. My son knows that I love him, no matter what, because I often express my love, encouragement and acceptance to him. However, it was because of my love that I attempted to discourage him from being gay.

In my own mind there must be something that is keeping me from totally embracing his lifestyle. However I have learned that no matter how much I love him and want for him to be different -mostly so that his life will be less encumbered and challenging as a straight person, something inside of me tells me that he is unable to change who he is. Once in one of our heated conversations while he was still struggling with his identity, he said, "Mom, do you think I would CHOOSE to be this way, if I had a choice!"

I really don't know if I didn't really understand what he was saying, or if I just couldn't accept it, and right now, I am still conflicted as to where I stand on the issues. But my son has gone on with his life as a GAY person, despite telling me often that he was bi-sexual, and NOT gay. Maybe that was his way of allowing me space to accept his being who he is. He did have a girlfriend for a long time, and she once mockingly said that they were going to get married. But it all turned out to be a cruel joke. Interestingly enough though, I later learned from my son, that she, in fact, was living a lesbian lifestyle!

When he went off to college, they drifted apart and he developed a friendship with a police officer about five years ago. They are now living together, and my son wears, what looks like a wedding band on his ring finger. However he told me it was a friendship ring.

I will always love my son, but this movie really hit a home to me, and it opened my heart and my eyes, even more so into understanding some of the feelings that still cause conflict for me. It has moved me into wanting desperately to resolve the feelings that I still harbor. My son will always be my hearts desire, first.

Lastly, I have no desire to change my religious affiliation. So this means accepting his gayness, which I will continue to seek God’s guidance in that acceptance. I guess it will be up to me, to find solace within the context of being Baptist; and hopefully my son, will be willing to “take the trip” with me, in spite of what may turn out to be an uphill battle. For I know that I love him and I know that God loves him even more, cause the Bible teaches that God’s love is infinite, and compassionate and kind. So it sounds to me, like he loves all of our children the same, gay, straight, bisexual, and transgender, whatever.

Mark, a gay friend of mine who attempted suicide as a young man due to his shame at growing up gay in Urbana, Ohio, told me about this remarkable movie. Correct me if I'm wrong, but he said you missed a wonderful opportunity to alert viewers about suicide prevention. When you next air the show it would be great if you could list the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-TALK and other vital information. Sadly, the gay and lesbian community have a disproportionately high rate of suicide. Congratulations again on a groundbreaking program. Ruth Deming of NewDirectionsSupport.org

When is Lifetime going to run this movie again? There has only been one re-run since it premiered... I thought Lifetime always replays their movies???

when does this movie come on i was at work and missed it
i need to know please

this movie is good i liked it i'm nt gay but i stll saw this movie but everyone and every parent shouls accept who there kids are no matter what they r cause u will never know what will happened but bobbys mom did't accept who he was cause she though that he was going to change but this movie is good i like it and then it was a sad movie

i would like to know when this movie is comming on again on lifetime so i could watch it.. i never seen it before. so does anyone know when it comes back on again prays for bobby?

Seeing your excellent film and hearing the unenlightened comments made this week by Miss California regarding gays’ rights to marry compelled me to comment here. As a 59 year old gay man whose mother still prays for me to change, I know from experience that the movie's portrayal of the Griffith family captures so well the very real struggle of so many people whose beliefs create such pain and inner conflict regarding their gay children and siblings. Having been very religious as a child, coming to the truth about my sexuality in college was so devastating to me personally that I went from top of my ivy league class to drop out. I went to a therapist to try to change but came to realize that I was born that way and God must have had other plans for me. I eventually came out to my family after the stress of being so closeted led to the destruction of my second long term relationship. Although they continued to love me and tried to understand, everyone in my family eventually became fundamentalist Christians after I came out. God couldn’t have chosen a better way to punish me. I know personally how the church can keep families apart. So much for family values. I cannot ever share much of my true feelings with my family before their eyes glaze over or they turn everything into the Bible is the answer just like Mary Griffith did. This is especially hard for me since I still consider myself a Christian. I love my family dearly and I know they love me but there is so much of me that I have not been able to contribute to their lives and they to mine. I never allowed myself to get very close to my nieces and nephews since I know I would have been blamed if any of them turned out to be gay. One sister died recently. It pains me how much we had in common, that her husband and children didn’t appreciate, that we could have shared and enriched both of our lives. From all appearances I am the handsome all American guy and until recently did have a very good job. I am in a long term relationship of over 20 years. Both our families enjoy our company but we are not invited as a couple to many family gatherings. Suffering from periodic mood swings and bouts of depression I too have considered suicide. I will not allow myself to have a gun for that reason. Ironically the only thing that has stopped me recently is the thought that I would hurt my mom. I hope your film helps further understanding by Christians that the Bible has many interpretations and theirs does not have to demonize gays. We have so much good to contribute. It would be nice if they would give us the opportunity to live happy lives.

This movie was great. It is more just like me. I have also threaten to commit suicide before but never did it. I am in my 20's and i have alot to deal with. But most people in my family dont know what i am going through. I have told a few close family members that i am gay but not the whole family. My Family is real religious and they will not accept me for me. They just want me to be just like them.. So Good Job Lifetime for making this movie.

I cannot thank Lifetime enough for featuring this movie! Bobby's story very well could have been mine, which almost ended similarly. Sadly, I have known more than a handful of young gay men who committed suicide, all from conservative Christian or Mormon homes.

More than twenty-five years later I have learned that God loves and accepts me and have learned to accept myself and love myself more fully. I went through more than eight years of reparative therapy (the ex-gay movement) trying to change my sexual orientation and it did not work for me or many others I knew. I now do my best to share the reality of God's love for all people with others. Whether one is religious or not, the reality is that for parents, friends and family members of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT) as well as for LGBT people themselves, things can and do get better when people are allowed to be who they were created to be. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG: www.pflag.org, listed on the Support page with the movie info. here) was critical in my journey to educating myself and family, to getting support that I needed and learning to advocate for others. My prayers are with all the parents, families and young people out there on their own journeys to true love and acceptance.

I too want to know if this movie is available for purchase or will it ever be available for purchase?? I have seen it online and on TV and it gets better each time I see it.

How can anyone reject their child? How can anyone believe in a sick, lieing religon that is so hung up on sex, money and power? Big religon,along with big business, is who put
George Bush in the white house and kept him there. Will we ever get out of the mess his ignorance and stupidity caused?

You find as you look around the world that every single bit of progress in humane feeling, every improvement in the criminal law, every step toward the diminution of war, every step toward better treatment of the colored races, or every mitigation of slavery, gay rights, every moral progress that there has been in the world, has been consistently opposed by the organized churches of the world. I say quite deliberately that the Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world.

For gays to cling to the hope that prayer and/or religion will help them win moral progress is like the Jews marching willfully to the showers.

Human beings who are mentally healthy will emphasize with the sufferings of others and will naturally want to reach out. People who do not have Invisible Friends or use mythical stories from a genocidal book can perhaps express compassion more easily than believers can because they are not confused by:

• Fatalism:"Whatever happens is God's will"
• Pessimism: "We deserve to suffer"
• Salvation: "Death is not the end"
• Retribution: "Justice will prevail in the afterlife"
• Magic: Pray for help"
• Holy war: Kill for God"
• Forgiveness: "I won't be held responsible for my mistakes"
• Glory: Suffering with Christ is an honor"

When you FINALLY realize that THIS is the only life we have, each decision is crucial and we are accountable for our actions right NOW, ONLY then will real progress be made for gays and others

CAN WE BUY THIS MOVIE ANY WHERE? I WANT TO SEE IT

can you buy this anywhere?

Prayers for Bobby is scheduled to replay on Sunday, April 19, 2009 @ 9pm EST. Try this link-
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/schedule/daily/2009/04/19/ET
if you click for more info- you can set a reminder email.

Take action! You can support youth who make a difference in memory of Bobby Griffith. www.allyaction.org/bobbygriffith

Since 1990, the Bobby Griffith Memorial Scholarship Fund has funded scholarships for Contra Costa County (California) high school graduates who contribute to the community by improving the environment for LGBTQ youth. Each year, the scholarship is awarded through Ally Action and the eQuality Scholarship Collaborative.

Find out more here: www.allyaction.org/bobbygriffith