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Constructing and Maintaining a Homosexual Identity in the Mormon Church

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Constructing and Maintaining a Homosexual Identity in the Mormon Church Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1993 Prophets and Preference: Constructing and Maintaining a Homosexual Identity in the Mormon Church Richard D. Phillips Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Phillips, Richard D., "Prophets and Preference: Constructing and Maintaining a Homosexual Identity in the Mormon Church" (1993). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 2513. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/2513 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PROPHETS AND PREFERENCE: CONSTRUCTING AND MAINTAINING A HOMOSEXUAL IDENTITY IN THE MORMON CHURCH by Richard D. Phillips A thesis submined in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Sociology p • • • • • Copyright © Richard D. Phillips All Rights Reserved • • • • • • • r • " • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS • I wish to thank my committee members, Dr. Richley Crapo, Dr. Gary Kiger, and Dr. Steven Simms, for their insight, expertise, criticism and patience. I would also like to thank Dr. Michael Toney, Dr. Brian Pitcher, and Dr. Joan Kleinke for allowing me to finish • this project, and Dr. Pamela Riley for her professional advice and friendship. Most of all, however, I would like to thank my family: Robert and Judy Phillips, Morris and Dixie Poole, and my wonderful wife, Melisa Poole, for their understanding, love and moral I support. I • I Rick Phillips • • • • • •• III • CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... ii • LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................ VI Chapter • I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 Sociology and Homosexuality .................................................................................... 2 Labeling Perspective: The Ownership of Deviance ............................................... 5 Moral Entrepreneurs .................................................................................................... 7 Labeling and the Individual. ...................................................................................... 11 Homosexuals in Christian Churches ........................................................................ 14 • Religions as Moral Entrepreneurs ............................................................................. 15 The Mormon Church as Moral Entrepreneur ......................................................... 17 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 19 Reliability and Validity ................................................................................................ 23 • Notes to Chapter I ...................................................................................................... 25 II. MORMON THEOLOGY AND HOMOSEXUALITY ................................................. 26 Homosexuality and American Christianity ............................................................. 28 Mormonism and Homosexuality ............................................................................. 30 Mormon Doctrine and Homosexuality .................................................................. 34 • Notes to Chapter II .................................................................................................... 42 III. LDS CHURCH POLICY AND HOMOSEXUALITY .................................................... .44 Homosexuality and the Mormon Mental Health Community ............................ 48 • The Gay Rights Movement Within Mormonism .................................................... 50 Notes to Chapter III .................................................................................................... 67 IV. 'COMING OUT' WITHIN MORMONISM ................................................................. 69 Homosexuality and Mormon Norms of Sexual Purity .......................................... 69 • Homosexuality and Missionary Service ................................................................... 79 Encountering Homosexual Members: Initial Church Reactions .......................... 84 Reasons for a Policy Shif!... ........................................................................................ 95 Mormonism, Homosexuality, and Families ............................................................. 97 The Choice to Leave Mormonism .......................................................................... 101 • Notes to Chapter IV .................................................................................................. 104 • IV • CONTENTS (Continued) Page V. PLAYING BY THE RULES: CELIBATE, MARRIED, AND "CHANGED" .................. 107 • Mormonism and Singleness ..................................................................................... 109 Other Aspects of a Celibate Lifestyle .................................................................... 112 Homosexual in a Heterosexual Marriage ............................................................. 115 The "Former" Homosexuals ...................................................................................... 120 Consigned to Hell ...................................................................................................... 123 • Notes to Chapter V ................................................................................................... 125 VI. MORMONISM AND THE "NEW MORMON GAY" ............................................... 126 Rejecting the Church Definition of Homosexuality ............................................. 126 Harmonizing Mormonism and Homosexuality .................................................... 131 Facing Church Court ............................................................................................... 139 • The Conservative Reformers ................................................................................... 142 Affirmation .................................................................................................................. 145 Notes to Chapter VI .. · ............................................................................................... 150 • EPILOGUE ...................................................................................................................................... 151 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................... 155 • • • • • '!i v • LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Identity Management Strategies of Homosexual Mormons ................................................ 18 • 2. Attitude Toward Homosexuality by Religious Affiliation ...................................................... 30 3. Comparison of Mormonism with Two Protestant Denominations on the Question of Exclusive Access to Spiritual Truth ........................................................ 35 • 4. Comparison of Changes in LDS Policy Toward Homosexual Members ........................... 61 • • • j J • • • i • J VI • ABSTRACT Prophets and Preference: Constructing and Maintaining a Homosexual Identity in the Mormon Church , . • by Richard D. Phillips Major Professor: Dr. Richley H. Crapo • Department: Sociology This thesis is a descriptive ethnography of homosexuals and homosexuality in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon church. The study employs the • labeling perspective in sociology and uses gay Mormons to examine how an individual constructs and maintains a homosexual identity in an environment where such an orientation is stigmatized and devalued. Qualitative interviews and documentary analysis • are the chief methodological tools for this study. The contradictions between a homosexual lifestyle and Mormon theology are outlined, and a history of Mormon church policy concerning homosexual members from • 1959 to the present is presented. The study finds that many homosexual Mormons have great difficulty balancing their religious beliefs and their homosexuality. These difficulties are exacerbated by several unique theological precepts of Mormonism, and by a social • climate that is generally hostile or indifferent to gay people and gay rights issues. A great deal of variation between younger informants and older informants to the study was discovered with regard to the depth of these difficulties, with older informants reporting more serious problems managing their sexual preference and Mormon church • membership than younger informants. It was found that some gay Mormons choose to live celibate lives, attempt to change their sexual orientation, or marry heterosexually in order to maintain favor with the • Mormon church. Others in the study strive to reform the Mormon church and seek to have gay relationships sanctioned within Mormonism. • • VII • The ramifications of these identity
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