Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Via AmericablogGay: Mormon study looks at gay experience within church

There is a study of 1,000 gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender Mormons being conducted by Utah State University, and is said to be the first to focus on that particular demographic. One of the gay Mormons featured in this article claims to have given a talk to his congregation as to how the Holy Ghost had been a comforter to him:

Watching television one day with his mother, Clayson said he pointed out that one of the "Survivor" cast members was both gay and Mormon. 

 "She said, 'You can't be both,'" Clayson said. 

It's a dilemma many gays in the church face as they struggle with their identities as both homosexual and religious faithful.
No, that is not true. It depends on one's denomination or theology as to whether or not there is any sustained cognitive dissonance for someone who is gay and a religiously faithful person. The analogy I would make is between being a member of GOProud or Stonewall Democrats, and then making a spurious claim one can't be both gay and politically active. It depends on the policies that group stands for. True, being an active Mormon or Catholic and gay is a stretch, but being a progressive member of the United Church of Christ is not inconsistent in the slightest.
One can make the argument that one is both gay and working within an organization to make it more progressive, but it is self defeating and ridiculous to claim one believes the tenets of an organization that disagrees with your very right to exist.

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