Mary Griffith: the Life Story and Death of Bobby Griffith's Mom
Mary Griffith Was an American Activist Famous for Being an Lgbtq Rights Crusader. However, What Makes Her Story Remarkable Is That She Is a Former...
Mary Griffith was an American activist famous for being an LGBTQ rights crusader. However, what makes her story remarkable is that she is a former ex-evangelical Christian who was homophobic. Her staunch religious beliefs led to the death of her son, Bobby Griffith, who committed sui*cide after she rejected him when he came out as gay.
Mary Griffith was involved in campaigning for equal rights for the LGBTQ community. She was also outspoken about harmful practices in the community, such as religious intolerance. Her life story, and her son’s, were turned into a book and later a film – which is iconic in the gay community.
So, how did Griffith go from an intolerant religious fanatic to one of the most prominent gay rights activists? And what else is there to know about her? Below is the life story of the activist, from her background, family, activist work, and death.
Mary Griffith profile summary
| Full name | Mary Alma Harrison Griffith |
| Name | Mary Griffith |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | October 13, 1934 |
| Date of death | February 7, 2020 |
| Age | 85(at her death) |
| Zodiac sign | Libra |
| Place of birth | Colón, Colón District, Panama |
| Place of burial | Lafayette, California, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Religion | Christian (ex-evangelical) |
| Hair colour | Dark Brown |
| Eye colour | Blue |
| Marital status | Married (Robert Griffith) |
| Children | 4 (Bobby, Nancy, Joy, and Ed Griffith) |
| Profession | Former teacher, activist |
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Early life
Mary Alma Harrison Griffith was born in Colón, Colón District, Panama, on October 13, 1934. She was the daughter of Alvin Edward Harrison (who passed away in 1986) and Ophelia Ambria Casey Harrison (who passed away in 2000). She had several siblings, including Alvin Warren Harrison (died 2013), Edward Potter Harrison (died 2017), Noma Barnett, Martha Lane, and Charles Harrison.
Griffith’s parents were staunch Christians, to the extent that family dinner topics usually included threats of eternal damnation. Also, growing up, she was an insecure girl and seemingly slow, which led her mother to call her 'lamebrain'.
When she was a teenager, Griffith got into a bit of trouble, leading to a run-in with the law. The encounter led her to believe that she was a sinner and Godless. This, combined with her strict Christian upbringing, led her down the path of religious extremism.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
