It’s rare that a newspaper report on a suicide, let alone a double lesbian suicide, but yesterday’s Marin Independent Journal included news that two elderly “life partners and roommates”, Barbara Francisco, 80, and Pauline Putnam, 89 have offed themselves.
The women lived together in a retirement home and, according to officials, never did anything apart. Including die. Tom Bucci, chief executive officer of the women’s retirement home, remarked: “The two women were life partners…They lived their whole life together. It’s always been a very important part of them to control their destiny.”
A bit sad, yes, but also a bit romantic. Imagine: two old lesbians who grew up in a hateful, no doubt unsatisfactory world, find love, live together and die in one another’s arms. It’s sort of like The Notebook. Only with lesbians…
Mr. B
Bless their hearts. Suicide is always very sad, but I guess they just felt it was their time to go, and they wanted to be sure they’d stick together. You can bet that was a strong relationship.
Paul Raposo
I believe everyone has the right to decide when they’re ready to die, so I’m not depressed about this story. What makes me happy about this story is, look at those pics. As Mr. B wrote, two people who put up with a lot of prejudice, but managed to be happy together.
Wow
Do you think they knew where they were going after they die?
Hell….maybe….
I bet they wish they did not die this moment
Chris
Who says they went ANYWHERE after they died, Wow? I really doubt they’re having any wishes either way at the moment. Not everyone believes in Hell.
nystudman
“Do you think they knew where they were going after they die?
Hell….maybe….
I bet they wish they did not die this moment”
Dude, check your meds.
Martini-boy
Remember kids: “Life partners” does not necessarily equate with “lesbians”. They could have been totally straight, just really good friends. Let’s keep such labelling to FOX, please.
Dyke
How dare you attempt to denigrate these women’s relationship by calling them ‘gal pals’ and saying their choice to die together constitutes ‘calling it quits’??!!
I know that a sort of bored irony is ever so hip and cool these days, but for crying out loud, have you no decency, sir?
Margrethe
“Dyke says:
How dare you attempt to denigrate these women’s relationship by calling them ‘gal pals’ and saying their choice to die together constitutes ‘calling it quits’??!!”
I totally agree. I find the above labeling very demeaning and very male chauvanistic too. It’s a typical response from a heterosexual male to a lesbian relationship that was obviously loving, committed, long and monogamous.
I, for one dont believe in Hell as a place at all. Heaven and hell to me are conditions, one being close to God and the other far from God. Hell is a place of hatred, Heaven one of love.
Hating other people only because they are different is being pretty close to Hell in my opinion. And on that account I think that a lot of fundamentalist religious gay haters are a lot closer to Hell than I am.
I am sad though that these women chose suicide as a way out. I dont believe that we have the right to end our own lives anymore than we have the right to take anybody elses life.
When people committ suicide it is usually done out of despair. Maybe with some counselling they might have viewed additional years in this life a bit differently than the outcome they chose.
Martini-boy
Dyke: if by the denigrate ‘gal pal’ comment is referred to me, I must say that I am in no way denigrating their relationship. Straight or not, their relationship is OBVIOUSLY of the utmost intimacy, and I respect and admire that wholeheartedly.
I do, however, have issues with AUTOMATICALLY equating “life partnership” with “homosexuality.” Since there is never any mention about these ladies carpet-munching or being sexually active with each other, I am wary with assuming that they were lesbians… As I said, they may have been REALLY close friends. Let’s not make their relationship something that is not to feed our own agendas.
If they’re not lesbians, then they’re not; and if they are, then they are. But to ASSUME they are because they did EVERYTHING together is not cool… let’s keep things objective here and not jump to conclusions.
Martini-boy
Correction:
And I just realized that you were referring to the header.
Nonetheless, my point still stands and is directed more toward the Queery boys than it is toward you.
Queerty boys: get your facts straight before you jump to conclusions.
Let’s keep the ‘ethical’ and ‘objective’ reporting up to par, alrightey?!
WOW
They choose to kill themselves, because they thought everything was going to end…. Too bad they were so wrong…
Hell is a real place…. This is what Jesus said about it…
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
20 “But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
21 “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
23 “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’
27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,
28 ‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’
30 “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’
31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” Luke 16:19-31
The Book of Revelation says this …..
9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10 “he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
11 “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9-11
Don’t fool yourself, these women are in great sorrow now…Hell is a real place. If you dont know where you are going after you die….now is the time to find out. Seek the Lord, while He can be found.
A couple of sites to check out
Christianity.com
Truthnet.org
Gotquestions.org/
Paul Raposo
>I do, however, have issues with AUTOMATICALLY equating “life partnership” with “homosexuality.”Since there is never any mention about these ladies carpet-munching or being sexually active with each other, I am wary with assuming that they were lesbiansAs I said, they may have been REALLY close friends. Let’s not make their relationship something that is not to feed our own agendas.If they’re not lesbians, then they’re not; and if they are, then they are.”
You seem to favour one, over the other.
>But to ASSUME they are because they did EVERYTHING together is not coollet’s keep things objective here and not jump to conclusions.let’s keep things objective here and not jump to conclusions.< Crawl back into your glass Martini-boy. Drunks make the worst intellectuals
Chilly
I just think they must have loved each other very much whatever their relationship and hope they had happiness with each other in their lives.
Heaven, Hell, Disco in the beyond, is not anyone heres place to judge. If you do “really” believe in the bible “Wow” you would have known that and the consequinces judging others brings upon yourself.
I hope their friends celebrate and rememnber their lives for the love and good they brought.
Margrethe
In a way I really feel sorry for Christian extremists.
Their lives must be so full of fear. Fear of God, fear of the devil, fear of Hell, fear of who ever they see as sinners and fear of their church leader, who conducts fire and brimstone preaching from the pulpit, condemming every human being to damnation and Hell, who does not follow HIS narrowminded view of Christianity.
These preachers are usually all male, since women in these congregations are trodden under foot, oppressed, and have few or no rights and no voice in the “church”.
I dont think these people should throw rocks when they themselves live in glass houses. It is not hard to find so called “devout” Christians of ALL denominations who have seriously transgressed against the tenants of the Christian faith and against what is deemed as “good Christian behaviour”.
Besides all you hear from these fundamentalist preachers is about their anti-gay and anti-abortion agenda.
They dont address issuses at all of homelessness, extreme poverty, war, famine, global warming, corrupt govenments, teen suicides, crime, or the serious drug problem that is threatning the very fabric of society and destroying the lives of countless young people.
I am sick and tired of these “holier-than-Thou” people and
I dont mind going to “Hell” when I die, cuz I sure dont want to be around these evil people for all eternity in their “Heaven”.
Yes, I consider them evil for the hatred they are continously spewing. I am sure my hell will be a nicer and more loving, God-fearing place than their Heaven. We are definately not going to the same place. Amen