Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons is an international organization for gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and intersex people who identify as members or ex-members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Affirmation holds that "homosexuality and homosexual relationships can be consistent with and supported by the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Under the name Affirmation: Gay Mormons United, the first Affirmation group was organized in Salt Lake City, Utah on June 11, 1977 by Stephan Zakharias and a group of other Mormon and ex-Mormons Gays and Lesbians. It was started after two friends of Zakharias (a gay Brigham Young University student) committed suicide after participating in electric shock therapy experiments administered by BYU's Psychology Department, spearheaded by Dr. D. Eugene Thorne and PhD candidate Max Ford McBride in 1976. The original group struggled to survive until 1978, when Paul Mortensen formed the Los Angeles chapter. Through the influence of the Los Angeles chapter, Affirmation groups appeared in many cities around the country.