Roseanne is not much of a writer, but she got the gist of it right. Virtually all mainstream religions condemn homosexuality, and it causes untold misery for those of us who were born gay. I did not “choose” my sexual orientation any more than heterosexuals chose theirs. But I spent the better part of my life learning it was okay to be what I was from the beginning. I cannot diagnose Marie Osmond’s son, but suicide among gay adolescents is far higher than other groups that age. And the link between persecution and suicide is well-established.
Organized religion…one of the true curses of civilization!

Roseanne is 100% right. If that’s what the situation was, good for Roseanne to say something. Poor kid to be gay in a family that is shamed saying there is something wrong with you. God loves everybody. EVERYBODY!

The loss of a child is a tragedy. It is heart-wrenching and agonizing. To try to degrade the loss through blaming someone’s freedom of religion choices is thoughtless. We all get to choose and as a “gay” female who chooses to participate in the Mormon faith, I have found nothing but love, compassion, and hope. I choose to be accountable for my choices rather than searching for someone or something to blame. Please have respect for those who have tragically lost children and extend love, compassion, and understanding rather than blame.

I agree with Roseanne 1 Billion percent.

It’s time for the sheep to rise up and take control of their faith and their church.

Pull the wool from your eyes.

Roseanne Barr is another Hollywood type that is totally irrelevant. How sad for Marie Osmond and her family.

I feel so sorry for Michael’s family. Suicide is a tragedy no matter what the circumstances and leave us all wondering how we could have helped. You can feel Roseanne Barr’s compassion and that same feeling of loss in her statements. However, how can she judge Marie’s reaction and tell her what she should be feeling, thinking and saying? Please let the mother grieve in peace and don’t criticize her for turning to her religion (or anything else) for comfort. Rosanne Barr has lived in Utah and has always had good things to say about Mormons. Utah, with the support of the Mormon church, just passed an anti-discrimination against gays law. The Mormon church, unlike some other “Christian” churches, continually emphasizes the need to love your neighbor, including if your neighbor is gay. That said, individual Mormons are sometimes rude and bigoted and they and all of us should learn more compassion. The stages of loss include disbelief, sadness, and anger, but with time, resignation and peace. There’s no quick way to get to peace and there shouldn’t be. The death of a family member leaves a hole in the heart, especially under such painful circumstances.

I am really tired of ill-informed people talking about the anti-gay “hatred” taught by the Mormon Church. This is NOT true. The Mormon Church DOES teach that sexual relations should only take place between a married man and woman. ANYTHING outside that is considered wrong (heterosexual, homosexual, whateversexual). While this standard is taught as the correct way to live ones life, the Church has never taught anyone to hate, discriminate or berate. It teaches the opposite. Love, forgivenes and kindness. No one is perfect. Mormonism teaches us to try to be better.

I think:
1. Roseanne has NO PROOF whatsoever that Marie’s son was gay. NOBODY has ever even HINTED at that possibility. She is fabricating lies to serve her own purposes.
2. Roseanne is the most crass, tasteless, rude and offensive woman on the planet and she proves that, once again, by blaming Marie for her son’s death. NO mother deserves that! Marie is not my favorite, but she is obviously grieving and should be allowed to do so without having people add to her suffering by lying.
3. Roseanne has made up her own religion? Probably because no other religion would claim her!
4. ALL of Michael’s friends who have been interviewed in the press said the same things: That Michael loved his family, including his mom very much and that he was a wonderful person and friend. Not one of them indicated in ANY way that he might have been gay or that religion was at the root of his problems. I do not believe his friends were Mormons or would have any reason to cover up the truth.
4. The bottom line is: A young man has taken his own life. We will never know exactly what he was thinking or feeling. But we should all support those he left behind who loved him and are struggling to come to terms with the finality of his decision. Rest in peace, Michael. God bless you, Marie.

I’m certainly not a fan of that loud mouth Ms Barr, but for once I believe she’s right on!

Rosanne is a jerk. You do not say things like that to someone who has just lost thir son. How cruel can you be. It does not matter if he was gay or straight. The fact is that he is now gone. Have a little more love than Rosanne.

I think it is shameful for anyone to attack the Mormon church or any church by using someone’s tragedy and making it personal. I know little about the Mormon faith but they may well agree with mainstream faiths that homosexuality is against God’s laws, so that any assertion that the ‘church caused the child’s suicide’ could be said if the Osmond family were Holiness or Catholic or Baptist, but it still would be the wrong time and the wrong way to disagree with a church’s teachings. I would hope that even in her own, as she says, made-up religion, Rosanne would have the premise that it is wrong to make anyone’s pain worse because of religious disagreement, especiallly when they have just lost their child. There is no evidence that Marie Osmond has failed to try to help her son with his depression, which is a medical condition that he surely had no matter what Rosanne Barr decides differently, and there is no reason to believe that Marie Osmond does not love her son or her daughter who is gay as much as she loves her other kids. I would think that any of us would respond to this sad loss of a young man’s life with compassion and loving support for his family. It is too bad that someone decided to attack a church at this time, which is, in effect, an attack on a grieving mother and family.

Well-said, Roseanne. Say it loud, say it strong, invest it with love and end with a hug.

Well-said, Roseanne. Say it loud, say it strong, invest it with love and end with a hug.

I think that what Roseanne is saying is Stupid, I’m not mormon but here’s another perfect example of how we keep pointing the finger at something or someone to make them responsible for someone’s death, He knew what he was doing! Stop pointing fingers at anyone, and focus on yourself….Kids now and days are being pampered and not giving responsability, and Roseanne opened her mouth and proved me right. If we keep doing this to our society, there are never going to take responsability for their own actions.

Roseanne was very couragous in her post. It was respectuful and powerful at the same time. Rosaeanne showed compasion for Maries son as an individual and not his sexual preferance. It needed to be said.

[...] Roseanna Barr goes on a tirade agains Mormans! (Allie is Wired) [...]

Michael Marie son was gay. It was known in the Hollywood circle, But people mostly focus on her gay daughter. Michael went to the Fashion institute were my brother goes(my brother is gay) and my brother said he was gay, and didn’t really try to hide it. But he would still go to the Mormon church when he was suppose to, and I think thats were the conflict came in. He was gay but he thought he was ding something wrong.

Mormons SUCK!!!! Thank you Rosie for standing up to these people of little faith. And Marie needs to get her sh.t together and stand up for her departed son. Her crap religion was the cause and they won’t admit it…. Poor lost soul… Their fault!!!!!

[...] Someone stuff an apple into the pig’s mouth – AW [...]

Gerald Lund was never even an Apostle. Rosanne has always been loony, but now that she says something provocative, she has some cred?! Whatever.

So becuse the idiots at NE claim he is gay Roseanne believes. Then she mentions the lesbian daughter that Marie has said she loves and accepts unconditionally

Roseanne has no idea what Mormons believe. How about shutting her mouth why the family is going through all this?

Celebs are so conceded.

You’ve heard “rumors” that the Mormon church is anti-gay? What rock have you been hiding under?

I wish the Osmonds the best during this horrific time and, yes, I think Roseanne should have tread a bit more delicately. But, her overall point is valid. These anti-gay institutions feed a homophobic society that continues to kill and emotionally maim its gay youth. We should no longer support their hatred with their tax-free status.

Roseanne is right and other celebrities should speak out on behalf of her son. The Osmonds should be forced off television as long as they are tied to the Mormon Church. I feel so sorry for her son and Marie, Donnie, et al, could have stopped it by simply accepting and supporting her son’s homosexuality. It is that simple. The Mormon Church is determined to destroy the gay segment and the American people should fight back and shut down the Mormon Church.

Roseanne is 100% WRONG, and a very poor writer.

If an individual or organization disagrees with a person’s behavior does that mean that that they are “anti-”? If I don’t believe the same way as you, am I “anti-” you? If I, as a Mormon, disagree with homosexual behavior, am I anti-gay? No. I have an old friend who is a lesbian. I think the world of her. I disagree with some of the things she does but I love her dearly. Can you disagree with the LDS church’s position and not hate the church? Apparently Roseanne can’t.

Everyone has the Right To Free Speach. It is not Right to attack a Mother so soon after the death of a beloved child. A little compassion goes a long way.

Since when is Roseanne Barr an expert on anything? Much of her blog commentary is ranting about this or that, with no actual facts. There has been absolutely NO mention in the media about Marie Osmond’s son being gay. Seems to me this is just a chance for her to bash a religion she knows nothing about. You should really go to a credible source for your information, rather than rely on facts via Roseanne Barr.

Why is it that everyone thinks that Jesus just loved everyone for who they were and never condemned a lifestyle? He loved the sinner, yes, but not the sin. He always told his disciples (followers) to obey God’s law. Now we can debate what that law is, however, to condemn someone or a church for teaching that homosexuality is sinful is wrong. Gays now bash “mormons” and excuse it as “bashing back”. Mormons teach and have always taught to love all mankind. This does not mean we accept all lifestyles as “okay with God.” Look in the NT at the case of the woman caught in adultery. Christ did not say to her, “I forgive you, now continue sinning.” He told her to stop her sinful ways. Now if she committed suicide after her altercation with Jesus, would you tell the Son of God he is hateful? Bigoted? Homophobic? Sexually intolerant? God does have laws. Jesus taught us to be obedient to those laws. He also taught to be loving to all God’s children but also not to condone sin.

Roseanne is as inappropriate here as she was when she “sang” the National Anthem at a baseball game.
Shame on her . . .

Maybe it’s not the Church that’s to blame, maybe it’s the GLBT people out there telling him that his church is poop and he should just do whatever feels good.
A person’s faith is something deep and personal. There is, we believe, a good reason why our Heavenly Father sanctified sexual intercourse to be ONLY between a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wed to each other. It’s a very powerful energy, and if taken lightly, carelessly, or against God’s will, it leaves a feeling of loss and degradation that never completely goes away.
The only thing that persons who DO go against God can do to justify and validate what they do is to get as many others as possible to agree with them, especially those brought up to believe that sex is sacred between a husband and wife.
The LDS church will never accept as normal or whatever, anyone who is morally unchaste and unrepentant. There is nothing stopping anyone from leaving the Church if they don’t agree with it’s teachings. So, one cannot blame the church for someone’s suicide, without taking their own share of the responsibility.

Roseanne has no idea what she is talking about…

Rosanne has no idea why he killed himself. She is making assumptions with little info. Simply irresponsible and disrespectful.

[...] Roseanne Barr Attacks Marie Osmond’s Church [...]

Our good friend who was a gay Mormon killed himself because of the way the church treats gays. It isn’t uncommon. It feels terrible to be rejected for something you have absolutely no control over.

It isn’t about “feeling good” Linda. That is an incredibly ignorant thing to say about being gay.

In fact, if you don’t like Roseanne’s choice of words, read this news story about a Mormon man who *did* commit suicide because of the way the Mormon church treats gays.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14473137

[...] Roseanne Barr attacks Marie Osmond’s church. Allie is Wired [...]

As per usual, Roseanne shoots her mouth off about her spin on a tragedy that she knows nothing about. She gets the facts wrong (Gerald Lund is not an “ex apostle”) because she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Suicide is tragic, and to boast you know the cause when you aren’t the person or the family is insensitive and narcissistic. In this country, everyone has a right to their beliefs, from Roseanne with her self-made up religion, to a person who embraces Christian beliefs in morality. And if you don’t like those beliefs and values, then you aren’t forced to follow them. For the record, the Mormon Church are not “gay bashers”. Rather, they embrace all people, gay or not. However, amongst the many moral values they have (such as honesty & hard work), there is: sexual activity only inside marriage and marriage is between a man and a woman – values shared by many other people besides Mormons, a fact demonstrated by every popular election on gay marriage.

Roseanne has a history with the Mormon church and blames the abuse she dealt with in her family against their religious beliefs. She used to say she was an ex-Mormon. Then she changed it to being Jewish growing up among the Mormons. Simply put, she has an agenda in making this provocative statement, and it has little to do with her grief over a potentially homosexual 18-year-old and more on pinning her mental illness on a religion. She needs to get a grip.

Unfortunately, teenagers struggling with coming to grips with their sexuality all make drastic and tragic choices. It’s easy to scapegoat a religious entity. So many other factors come into play, including family ideals, social status, social circles, personal beliefs, etc.

If we could say that suicides would become nonexistent if we all accepted homosexuality then she might have something. Otherwise she needs to shut her misinformed mouth.

Who cares what Rosanne Barr thinks, and who puts any credibility at all into anything she says or does?

Yeah Roseanne! And to all You detractors critical of Roseann’s calling out of the Moron Church, You’re supporting the intolerant Fascists who have caused this tragedy. How Damn Christian of You.

[...] Roseanne Barr blames Osmond son death on their church [Allie is Wired] [...]

Roseanne Barr sucks! It is quite amusing to read her babbling on about stuff that she has NO idea what she is talking about!! Which is most of the time! Her big mouth is always flapping about stuff. She just needs to shut up. The Mormon church gives its members great comfort concerning death. Roseanne is not helping at all. Shame on her for hitting below the belt at such a difficult time in Marie Osmond’s life. Shame!!

Hello. I’m a Mormon, and although I’ve never met Marie or her son, apparently I am responsible for his death.

Nevermind that I teach my own children to love everyone regardless of religion, race or sexual orientation.

Nevermind that I teach my children that homosexuality most likely has a genetic component, and therefore we are not in a position to judge them.

Nevermind that I do not allow my children to make any disparaging remarks about gay people or tolerate that behavior from their friends.

Nevermind that at present there aren’t any credible sources reporting that Michael was gay to begin with.

I am a Mormon, and therefore I am guilty. Yes, I know it sounds silly, but apparently it’s true, because if Roseanne said it, you can take it to the bank.

hmmmmmm how do i begin, well i suppose i,ll mention i,m an athiest and i live in utah, so the whole religion thing is not an issue here for me. but what i will take issue with is this rosanne barr is an untalented moronic idiot. and if she had the nutts to say somthing like that to my face after losing my son , she,d be joining him.now i also had a gay brother i say had because he dies of aids 2 years ago. and now i,m gonna tell you what his opinion on the whole gay rights issue. he thought the whole damn issue was stupid and as a gay man did not want to be associated with the whole gay rights issue. he had the right to vote he had liberty to pursue happiness and did not feel because he was gay deserved some special rights it,s not like he was trying to get his civil rights he had them already as an american. and as far as the whole gay mARRIAGE RIGHTS HE DIDNT KNOW A SINGLE GAY MAN WHO COULD BE LOYAL AND RESPECT THE VOWS OF MARRIAGE ANYWAY!!!!!.

Y’all need to understand something about human nature, and that what the Nuremberg Trials concluded: There is a higher standard of right and wrong.

You can (and probably will) kill every Mormon, Christian, Jew, and Muslim in your vicious drive to silence opposition, but what really drives you is an urge to be free of a conscience that does not come from anyone else on this planet. It comes from that higher place. It constantly weighs on your minds. It gives you no peace. It hounds you. It haunts you. You will never be free of it. Even the Greeks eventually learned that truth, but, like all fools, you will end up repeating history… with the added burden of blood on your hands.

Who’s the hater? You hypocrites and your loud-mouthed, obnoxious panderer!

Wow, I am so shocked that someone would be so judgemental about someone elses life. No one and I do mean no one has the right to judge a family or what their beliefs are. If it is a case of broken laws there are court systems for that. Having lost a grandchild last year, it is hard enough to cope with that, and what ever Marie and her family use to come out of it should be fine with anyone. My son that lost his child has thought about suicide, trying to help him is not an easy thing, no matter how much you believe in God. I wonder if Roseanne has ever lost a child in any way? If that day should ever come she will not want people hounding her, and she will remember what she said. I feel sorry for Roseanne as much as my heart goes out to Marie.

TELL ROSANNE OK CANNT YOU SPEAK ABOABOUT DONT BLAME MARIE OSAMDS SON THING HAPPEN DEATH OK .STILL WIN MILLION DOLLAR OR BILLION DOLLAR TO ROSEANNE OK PLEASE YOURSELF JUST CALM NOT TOUCH OF JUST SEE MARIE OSAMDSBUT YOURSELF ROSEANNE CAN LEAVE NT TOUC NO MEET HER OK BY HELLO MY FRIEND

That last comment %$&$?#*#(@-=(

To see your own child commit suicide is sad for any mother…. He might of been treated as an outcast or felt like an outcast. I do not think religion influenced this tragedy. Marie took on more kids than she could handle to not see this coming?

BTW, Roseanne was brought up with Mormon and Jewish Orthodox religions. Best to generalize about these tragedies among families. Religion can be some influence but family is a stronger influence over siblings so Mary, where were you all this time to pick your son up during his struggle. Not easy for her to accept.

no one was born Gay…. people choose to be gay because of many reasons……. we were all born with the freedom of choice to do whatever we wish… end of..

It’s too bad that Rosanne messed up her own sad little life and has to attack the Mormon church. I know that all are welcome in the LDS church. There is no CRUSADE against anyone. Rosanne is a sicko for saying things that aren’t even true.

i believe with the church if any church loves god goes by the bible they will read where it is wrong to be gay god hates sin and forincation is sin so people better open their eyes and see the truth we are liviing in the last days so get right with god instead telling the mormons to get right they are latter day saints who belive the old ways and the true ways of the bible so get right and leave the innocent alone