The southeastern and south-central area of the United States known as the Bible Belt, continues to serve as the most prominent intersection between small-town life and conservative evangelical values. A small-town conservative mentality as depicted throughout the novel justifies the exclusion of an entire group strictly on the basis of sexual orientation. By utilizing the strict interpretation of homosexuality as an “abomination” to society, key social institutions like the workplace, education and healthcare attempt to extinguish all forms of existing or potential homoeroticism. While struggling to make sense of an emerging gay identity, Bible Belt homosexuals experience exposure to a wide variety of Christian symbols and ideas that seep its …show more content…
Those that have to juggle same-sex attractions and conflicts with their own religious beliefs struggle to form an identity that pleases both sides. Churches in the Bible Belt stress that one cannot simultaneously be both gay and Christian, which then force questioning individuals to pick one and ignore the other. One of the most common ways in which religiously devout gay and lesbians deal with their conflicting homosexuality and faith is through praying to ask for forgiveness and cure them of their abnormality. As Derek explains, “[the Preacher] would group us with perverts…I needed to go to the altar and just pray and ask God to forgive me every Sunday” (Barton 2012: 66). Not only are individuals expected to turn to their faith in times of great peril, but they are also inclined to beg for a miracle. Religious officials continue to depict homosexuality as a personal choice and something that can be reversed, which in turn creates the impression that their sexuality can be cured. Another, more extreme method of coping with clashing identities includes ex-gay reparative therapy, which was taken a last-resort alternative by interviewee Jennifer. Partaking in gay reparative therapy marks the beginning of a downward spiral where self-loathing is at its peak and desperation for a “quick fix” is imminent. In most …show more content…
Upset about his sexuality and failed attempts to alter it, Thomas went to drastic means involving substance abuse and addiction to manage his identity crisis. While on the verge of a suicidal mission, a near death encounter inspired a new spiritual experience that gave Thomas “the ability to manage his addiction… [and also] gave him a new clarity in his perception of God” (Barton 70). Even though Thomas did not follow through with his intent to kill himself, he still went by destructive means in order to achieve a sense of comfort with his identity. Because of the way this scenario was brought about, it is classified as a dysfunctional technique of coping since it nearly cost him his own life. On the contrary, Joshua went about his predicament in a more harmless fashion, by surrounding himself with a positive environment that helped educate and enlighten his view of homosexuality. He quickly occupied himself by joining the “Bulldog Christian Fellowship, quickly surrounded [himself] with a collection of Christian friends…began reading gay literature on Christianity in order to nurture a positive gay Christian identity” (Barton 2012: 74-75). In comparison to Thomas, Joshua utilized the plethora of student services available that helped expand his support system as well as new
On May the eighth of this year, the Conference of United States Religious Leaders and Ministers was held in Chicago, Illinois. The conference is an annual event coordinated by church leaders who each send a representative to take part in the discussions. Father Gregory McAllister of the Diocese of Arlington traveled to Chicago to attend the conference and share his knowledge. He spoke on behalf of the Catholic Church, while ministers and clergy from various religions from across the country also shared their views on the topics discussed.
In the past decades, the struggle for gay rights in the Unites States has taken many forms. Previously, homosexuality was viewed as immoral. Many people also viewed it as pathologic because the American Psychiatric Association classified it as a psychiatric disorder. As a result, many people remained in ‘the closet’ because they were afraid of losing their jobs or being discriminated against in the society. According to David Allyn, though most gays could pass in the heterosexual world, they tended to live in fear and lies because they could not look towards their families for support. At the same time, openly gay establishments were often shut down to keep openly gay people under close scrutiny (Allyn 146). But since the 1960s, people have dedicated themselves in fighting for
Surprisingly, Howard documents male same-sex sexualities in places where many may least expect to find them. Howard begins his book by challenging the urban, progressive, and identity-based writings that have dominated the delivery of gay history by focusing in the queer worlds of rural and small town Mississippians. Howard breaks the book down into two parts. Part one is perhaps best viewed as a set of contexts out of which develop, in part two, a series of changes (Howard, 2001). Through oral history, Howard details stories of queer male life in Mississippi. Important locations for gays are explored, such as homes, churches, schools, colleges, and work places. Howard also succeeds in explaining how the gay community in Mississippi ‘circulated’ and ‘congregated’ in queer sites in cities, towns, bars, and roads (Howard, 2001). Infamous cases in queer society of the time are also explored during the book. Howard explains in detail a 1955 murder of an interior decorator, an arrest of an African American civil rights activist in 1962, a 1963 arrest of a Euro-American civil rights activist, and a 1965 arrest of a local symphony conductor to trace shifts in sexual and gender norms and crackdowns on queers in the midst of the civil rights movement (Howard, 2001). Literature and the arts in the gay community is also explained. Gays in Mississippi
Within modern society when a character strays away from what society depicts as morally right, the individual is frowned upon as if he or she doesn't belong. In “Angels in America” a gay fantasia on National themes, characters struggle to be themselves upon fear of whether or not society will accept them as an individual. The characters not only struggles with whether or not society will accept them, but they also struggle with their inner demons, and ultimately the question of what is truly good or evil. In this paper several characters will be analyzed and discussed from several different viewpoints.
...ognized that heterosexual, as well as homosexual individuals engaged oral and anal sex (Gay and Lesbian Rights, 49). For many years it was thought that people who were gay had some sort of mental disorder, and there are still plenty of individuals who believe this. Texas has yet to repeal laws condemning persons of sodomy, as well as three other states (Gay and Lesbian Rights, 49). This is evidence that certain individuals in Texas still believe that sodomy is a crime. Many are set in their ways, that the bible states clearly the stipulation that a man with a woman is the only correct and moral pairing of human beings. With knowledge of the overlying historical ideology of justification for discrimination that Baynton discusses in his essay, the egregiousness of this historical and current oppression of those with ‘abnormal’ sexual preferences becomes even clearer.
We read about different religious ideals, from Theron's Methodism to Father Latour's Catholicism, to Hazel Mote's The Church of Christ without Christ, to Jonah's (futuristic) Bokononism; each religion, in its own way, reflecting a different aspect of American religious zeal. And we have heard from a number of southern writers like O'Connor, Faulkner, and Porter. We begin, through characters like Miranda and Anse, to glimpse a southern language and way of living.
The tri-fold approach applied within the treatment plan will include elements of spirituality, emotional and physical components. The spiritual aspect focus will include making peace with his sexual orientation and his religious up bringing. Because of his biological background, with encouragement, Joe will be able to connect the biological nature of his sexual orientation in coming to terms with his spiritual beliefs.
Angle in America by Tony Kushner explores the critical issue of what it means to be a homosexual at a time when Republican Right Wing ideals dictated the country with anti-gay propaganda. Many characters in the book are homosexuals struggling to fit in the conservative society at the time wether they followed those ideologies or not. The already isolated queer community faced even more backlash as the AIDS became a negative label associated with them. But not everyones struggle with homosexuality came from a desire to be treated as an equal and have legal rights, some struggle with self acceptance. Joe Pitt, a deeply closeted homosexual with strong religious values and Left Wing ideologies, struggles with his own sexual identity and is unable to come to peace with who he is.
The woman given in this case study is not doing well. It is needless to say that she probably didn’t think that her life would end up this way. A woman of her age and a mother of two going through a divorce is always a stressful and complicated time. To make matters worse, this crisis in her life corresponds perfectly with a crisis in her faith life. My initial guess is that these two crises are not individual events, but rather that they are interrelated on a fundamental level. From the information given in this case study it would appear that this woman is experiencing developmental issues in two ways: her divorce and crumbling family life has thrust her into a psychosocial crisis of early adulthood, and the resulting crisis has revealed
He felt that if a young person identified as LGB&T that he personally could not work with them as their sexual orientation would be contradictory to his faith and teaching of the church. He stated that if a young person chooses to be LGBT that they have also chosen to turn their back on Christianity and that a faith based youth setting was not the right place for them.
94). “Coming out” can be nerve wracking for the adolescent. As a result, it crucial for counselors to put aside their biases towards the issue and encourage these adolescents. They need to know someone cares about them. Many times parents respond with sadness, shock, and disappointment when their child comes out at as GLBT (Davis, Staltzburg, & Locke, 2009). Some GLBT youths are ejected from their homes and even experience physical or emotional abuse (Davis et al, 2009). As a result, it is important for counselors to show these adolescents the love and compassion they so desperately need. As Christians we are called to love the person, but hate the sin. One may not agree with a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity; however, it is still important to treat them the same way you want to be treated (Luke 6: 31, NASB). Great job on your thread.
Although people may go into conversion therapy willingly, most of those entered into reparative therapy are children and teens forced by their homophobic parents. One of these such individuals is the
Although our modern society in America is now less tolerant of these ‘therapists’ and supporters of this ‘therapy,’ it is needless to say that it is impossible to eradicate a practice that can be justified as freedom of religion. For this reason, I have engendered a complete solution to not only stopping conversion therapy, but also reversing the illusion that conversion therapy is either just or in some god’s wish. The ultimate solution to this issue is taking a taste of one’s own medicine. Through similar techniques used by themselves, therapists and supporters will undergo therapy for hetero to homosexual conversion, thereby solving the problem altogether.
Discrimination based on religious views can be observed in an array of different topics, but one of the most prevalent issues in today’s society is the religious discrimination of the LGBTQ community. Those who identify as LGBTQ receive endless amounts of hatred and bullying, but one of the biggest and most mentally damaging aspects of discrimination comes from those who let religion impact the idea of how a person should be treated. This negative backlash and isolation can be very disastrous, psychologically and mentally. Though religious discrimination against the LGBTQ population is still a very current and widespread problem, there are many organizations that are working to create a more accepting and understanding view of the community.
In today's society, there exists a mixture of issues which tend to raise arguments with people all over. There are a handful of topics that always seem to escalate these differences between people to the point where one who earnestly participates in discussion, debate and argument can direct their anger towards their feelings on the person themselves. Some examples of such delicate subjects are the death penalty, abortion, and euthanasia. An issue that has in recent years, begun to increase arguments, is the acceptability of homosexuality in society. Until recently, homosexuality was considered strictly taboo. If an individual was homosexual, it was considered a secret to be kept from all family, friends, and society. However, it seem that society has begun to accept this lifestyle by allowing same sex couples. The idea of coming out of the 'closet' has moved to the head of homosexual individuals when it used to be the exception. Homosexuality is nothing to be ashamed of and we should all come to realize this.