That Michigan Pastor Who Was Outed on Grindr? He Nearly Shamed a Gay Teen into Committing Suicide

By Jen Hayden
Daily Kos
May 21, 2015

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/05/21/1386720/-That-Michigan-pastor-who-was-outed-on-Grindr-He-nearly-shamed-a-gay-teen-into-committing-suicide?detail=facebook_sf#

Tyler Kish recalls Pastor Matt Makela's heartless counseling

Yesterday we covered Pastor Matt Makela, the anti-gay Michigan pastor who was outed on Grindr.

Today a young man and his mother have stepped forward with their own story about Pastor Matt Makela. Tyler Kish was a teenage boy struggling to come to terms with his sexuality and sought counsel from Pastor Makela. His advice nearly caused Tyler to commit suicide:

"If he was going to go to hell for being gay then he might as well go to hell by committing suicide," Jennifer Kish said, regarding what Makela told her son.

He didn't stop there:

Jennifer Kish said the pastor also became vocal on social media about how he felt her son being gay was wrong and that as a parent she shouldn't support him.

After listening to Tyler Kish, it seems Pastor Makela could've used some support and counseling of his own:

"Honestly feel very bad for him, because looking at it everything he was telling me, he was telling himself too, and I think that he was really kind of self destructing and hurting people around him," Tyler Kish said.

A hurt that could've changed this family's lives forever, but Tyler Kish said love conquers all and he has found it in his heart to forgive the person he once blamed for his darkest days.

See a heartfelt interview with Tyler and his mother, Jennifer Kish at WNEM.com. And hats off to Jennifer Kish for taking a stand and removing her son from Pastor Makela's hateful counseling.